Do you only have your partner and kids at Christmas?

[purplespink]

Our Christmas is always DH&I and our dc. We’ve gone from a family of 4 to 5 this year. We never see extended family at Christmas as that’s the way we like it, I can never fully relax when we have guests over or are guests to someone. We’re not going to change it (nor do I want to) but is this usual? Do most people see extended family? We only see extended family a few times a year anyway.

I’ll be having dm and mil plus 2 adult dcs.
What would happen if you and your oh split up and your DCs become adults with their own families.
Will you be happy to sit alone at Christmas whilst your DCs only have their immediate family?
Just curious that’s all.

We've had just us and our DCs since covid. It's great. See family on Boxing Day.

Growing up it was always just the four of us for Christmas (Mum, Dad my sister and I). I absolutely loved it! So easy, no stress, just lovely and easy and fun. (All of the extended family lived abroad so we never had anyone to invite or anywhere to go)

Now we pretty much do the same thing. My parents are no longer around, and my partners parents have their own families. So it usually just us four, and we all love it! I wouldn't be against having more people over if the opportunity arose. But really love it just being us four.

@Sparklesandspandexgalloreno, I wouldn’t but I don’t live in the same country as my parent, and they have their own family (ie remarried and had more dc) and DH’s Df always spends Christmas with DH’s sister and her husband and dc. We wouldn’t let them be alone if they didn’t have other plans/options.

Used to have my parents over at Christmas and New Year as they lived locally. PILs came for New Year. All passed away now, so just us and DC. It's nice, apart from the moments we remember those no longer with us.

On Christmas day it just my 4 youngest DC and I (single parent) Then one day between Christmas and New Year, my older 2 DC and their DH and the DGC come for dinner, presents etc.

I rarely see my own siblings or DM and haven't seen them over Christmas for 2 years.

Yes, neatly my only chance to see all family together. Love the chaos!!!

We had just the 4 of us forced on us 10 years ago due to a family fall out & i grew to love it, getting up when I want, lounging around in pj's, pleasing only ourselves. Now the family have resolved their differences I'm happy to get together but selfishly don't really want to host, though I probably would get lots of help

It is just our family of four on Christmas Day and has been since we had DDs and stopped wanting to travel and be away from home on Christmas Day. My parents live 250 miles away so we see them between Christmas and New Year instead.

FIL goes to SIL's for Christmas but then they come to ours on Boxing Day. It means we get the best of both worlds really as I do enjoy the get togethers and general craziness of visiting and hosting but Christmas Day is a completely relaxed, chilled out day where we can just please ourselves.

Me, my husband and 4 DCs go to my mum's and spend the day with her, my two sisters, BIL and niece and nephew. I couldn't imagine not seeing my family on Christmas but I'm someone who will spend time with my family (and extended family) at any opportunity 🙂

I try to keep it that way! I don't like hosting others as they are all fussy and love dining out. I like plain food, we're not fancy. Also with young dc we're not in a position to buy expensive food etc to please them. I also dislike being asked to other people's homes for Christmas Day. Christmas Eve is stressful and I like to chill on the main day.

We always have my parents (will be different this year as one in a nursing home now) and would love to have a bigger extended family Christmas but because of the preference of certain other family members not to we can't so we make the best of it. We had huge family Christmases growing up and they are some of my happiest childhood memories. We had to do just the four of us in 2020 and while it was nice enough it just wasn't the same, felt like an anti-climax.

Yes, just the 4 of us here and I love it. I last spent Christmas Day with my parents and siblings in 2019, and with PILs in 2023. That was my second time ever doing it with my PILs (had been with DH for 11 yrs by then) and I don't ever want to do it at their house again, I found it quite awkward despite knowing them all for years! My parents' house is not child friendly and there's not enough space for us all to sleep.

We usually see my family for drinks and nibbles sometime in December, then go to PILs for twixmas, so we do see everyone over the festive period.

I grew up only just being with my parents and siblings at Christmas and have the best memories of it. We now have my parents for dinner because otherwise they would be alone, we usually see MIL in the morning or after dinner (she is always invited but prefers to go to her other son which is fine).

Usually see in laws for Xmas day. This year is just going to be me, DH and kids. I’m looking forward to it!

This is all we do. Anything else is just stressful and not very comfortable. One side will only host but don't really do food or anything we find fun like games. One side are in such a different lifestyle money wise it's a bit uncomfortable.
Our best Christmas was covid where we went nowhere so that's what we do from then on.

We’ve have had some Christmases with just us, that’s DH’s preference. I love a big, busy house for Christmas. I find it so much more fun with a house full. With everyone being so busy throughout the year Christmas is a lovely opportunity to get together with extended family.
Growing up we usually went to stay with grandparents or had people stay with us, it was always a full house. It was so exciting, one year we just stayed at home the four of us and it was so quiet and just not the same. I hated it!

Just the 3 of us as there is no other family. 🤷🏻‍♀️
(DP’s on both sides are dead)

It's just my daughter and I, we go to my mother's. There's usually two of my brothers and my sisters, one sister in law, one brother in law.
I would rather not but it's nice for my daughter to have everyone around at Christmas.

Just the two of us , we have family over for drinks snd nibbles at some point over the Christmas hols but we don’t visit or host anyone on the actual day. It’s a perfect peaceful time . We’ve no kids so we’ve always had a grown up Christmas.

We have always just been partner and kids on Xmas day. We see my partners family boxing day and mine usually the week before for a meal and presents and stuff. It's just easier to relax and not stress about food or entertaining, driving etc x

After a truly awful Christmas with miserable whiny GPs (there’s an abuse background), which followed another Christmas with the other GPs who kept trying to surreptitiously smoke in the house, my parents decided all subsequent Christmases would be nuclear family only.

I’ve hosted my parents, which was good, but now one is dead and the other abroad. And the ILs, which was truly awful, but they’re dead now too. We don’t have other relatives we see.

As and when my DCs start pairing off I plan to invite the partners and their attachments. I’d like a big Christmas again.

Just me and 2 DC then they go to their dad in the evening and for boxing day. I like the quality time with them but I think they'd rather have a few cousins etc about to play with. We do see grandparents and others over the Xmas period but I have a very small family who keep to themselves. Their dads side is a bit more traditional but he doesnt visit much.

Yes we do and I did as a child so wanted to do the same when I had my own dc. I love that there's no stress or clock watching, only cooking for us means we can just eat the things we actually like rather than making loads of stuff for others. No-one had to drive so DH and I can both have a drink (we don't drink much but love a christmas morning bucksfizz) We're lucky our parents have always had somewhere else to go but wouldn't see anyone on their own. We have big family get togethers the weekend before christmas with DH's family and on boxing day with mine so still see everyone

Just me, DH and the 3 DC's and love it that way. Neither mine nor DH's parents are alive. I'm an only so no family my side but we always meet up with DH's DSIS and family one of the days after Xmas.