Page 13 | December 1st breakfast

ChristmasHasCome · 2025-12-01T05:29:48+00:00

IF you do a special breakfast for today, what do you have? My kids are teens but we have our friends children staying with us at the moment who are younger, due to a family emergency, and they cheered up when we mentioned we could do this. We are having, 🎄 Pancakes shaped like snowmen, Xmas trees and Rudolf with smarties, chocolate chips, strawberries and blueberries for decoration 🎄 Snowman crumpets 🎄 Grapes and blueberries made into a Christmas tree 🎄 Banana and strawberries made into candy canes 🎄 Milk in bottles decorated to look like snowmen 🎄 Hot chocolate and marshmallows 🎄 Chocolate coins 🎄 Advent calendars (chocolate and Lego) I decorated the dining table late last night so it looks very festive for them and our friends children’s elves are with us! Just wondering what you’re doing because I’m nosy and maybe I can steal some ideas.

Calliopespa · 01/12/2025 12:11

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 01/12/2025 12:09

Ah, well, here they just have to wait a bit! 3 of them, and 2 or 3 each!

Show quote history

I don't mind people sitting waiting at the weekend, but it makes me a bit flustered on a school morning. It's as you say 3 x 3 x "x" minutes each ... and the time starts adding up.

Nutmuncher · 01/12/2025 12:12

Bizarre, why anyone would need tondo this is beyond me.

KittyFinlay · 01/12/2025 12:13

Calliopespa · 01/12/2025 11:08

Thanks.

I don't mind doing pancakes at the weekend when we can sit round over a leisurely breakfast and chat as they cycle through the pan, but I don't want to have to get the dc out of bed earlier for something that in all honesty I don't think is as healthy for a school day.

@Consideringparttime commented that people need better time management, but I'd rather the dc had an extra bit of sleep and then a healthy bowl of oats with blueberries, which is quick, nutritious and is ready for everyone at the same moment. It's not time management so much as deciding how to use the time. I don't really see it is worth adjusting the schedule to squeeze in school day pancakes - though I understand the op was doing it as a special morning, and I think that was a lovely thought.

Show quote history

I agree to an extent and as none of us are morning people the whole family would be quite miserable if I insisted on them all getting up early for a fancy breakfast on a school day, but not everyone hates waking up early with the same passion.

I do a Christmas Eve breakfast when everyone is off anyway, and it's not in the least bit healthy- table scattered with sweets, pancakes, jelly, choice of syrup. There is also fruit but the main event is sugar.

It's once a year. It really doesn't matter if my kids are hopped up on sugar one day a year, whether it's a school day or not. (Whether sugar actually causes hyperactivity is also debatable, but that's for another day.)

Allmywishcometrue · 01/12/2025 12:14

Parker231 · 01/12/2025 12:02

For us Christmas is almost over by 24th! We start celebrating on 6th with Sinterklaas.

Show quote history

Me too! Are you Belgian (or Dutch?).

Aethelredtheunsteady · 01/12/2025 12:14

Nutmuncher · 01/12/2025 12:12

Bizarre, why anyone would need tondo this is beyond me.

Maybe read the thread? OP is looking after her friend's children due to what sounds like quite traumatic circumstances and wanted to do something nice.

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 01/12/2025 12:15

Calliopespa · 01/12/2025 12:11

I don't mind people sitting waiting at the weekend, but it makes me a bit flustered on a school morning. It's as you say 3 x 3 x "x" minutes each ... and the time starts adding up.

Show quote history

No wonder! I often tell dd that she should restrict pancakes to weekends. It’s OK when they’re with us, it’ll be half term or other school holidays, and I’m a retired old granny with time to spare - and a good blender! 🙂

JFDIYOLO · 01/12/2025 12:16

... What the actual extra expense/planning/work/faff/guilt for women is happening here?

Parker231 · 01/12/2025 12:16

StruggleFlourish · 01/12/2025 12:08

The 6th? I thought sinterklass was dec 5?
Hey to each their own
It's a shame OP got so much criticism thrown her way because, the breakfast that she plans sounds lovely if you have the time and energy and available funds and everything else to make this big fun delightful countdown to christmas, what the heck? Make it fun. Kids are only Young once.
The thing is I think an awful lot of people are feeling the pinch right now in terms of money or time or both and the stress makes people lash out when other people talk about what they're doing, it's kind of a almost jealousy thing that if you don't have the extra time or energy to spend doing this, then they feel ever so slightly ashamed that maybe they should have done something special and the combination of jealousy / envy and shamefulness leads to bitterness and lashing out? I mean hey, it's not for everyone, but we should all try to put a little more joy and magic and sparkle into our kids day shouldn't we? Because they put Joy magic and sparkle into ours, even though it's hard to see sometimes from close up when you're exhausted, give it a few years. When the kids aren't little anymore and Christmas is just another day, and every day feels the same and it's just a race from the minute you get up to the minute you can get to bed, you're going to miss the joy and sparkle that your kids brought to your lives.
You keep on doing your breakfast December Santa holiday thing, op. It sounds nice!
I just hope you're not setting yourself up for a tradition that you have to do every single year, as you may not have time for going forward, aside from that, it's a lovely thing you're doing for your kids

Show quote history

Sinterklaas is 6th in Belgium although we now live in Canada and continue with our celebrations.

Calliopespa · 01/12/2025 12:17

KittyFinlay · 01/12/2025 12:13

I agree to an extent and as none of us are morning people the whole family would be quite miserable if I insisted on them all getting up early for a fancy breakfast on a school day, but not everyone hates waking up early with the same passion.

I do a Christmas Eve breakfast when everyone is off anyway, and it's not in the least bit healthy- table scattered with sweets, pancakes, jelly, choice of syrup. There is also fruit but the main event is sugar.

It's once a year. It really doesn't matter if my kids are hopped up on sugar one day a year, whether it's a school day or not. (Whether sugar actually causes hyperactivity is also debatable, but that's for another day.)

Show quote history

Occasional treat days really don't do too much harm.

Aethelredtheunsteady · 01/12/2025 12:17

JFDIYOLO · 01/12/2025 12:16

... What the actual extra expense/planning/work/faff/guilt for women is happening here?

Well if you read the thread you'll see the OP is trying to do something nice for some children she's looking after who are having a tough time.

Parker231 · 01/12/2025 12:17

Allmywishcometrue · 01/12/2025 12:14

Me too! Are you Belgian (or Dutch?).

Show quote history

Belgian but now living in Montreal.

BatshitOutofHell · 01/12/2025 12:17

Hollyjollynights · 01/12/2025 12:06

every year I’m baffled by people thinking that not engaging in certain Christmas things is some kind of indication of their moral superiority.

also thinking ‘I’ve not heard of something’ is exactly the same as ‘this thing doesn’t exist’

it’s called a North Pole breakfast around here op, you can book onto them at cafes and soft plays. I’m a bit lazy tho and for us it’s just Christmas shaped crumpets.
I’ve seen some lovely fruit kebabs shaped like Santas hat, pancakes with some colouring, or faces drawn on, little breakfast muffins, pastry cheese stars. porridge with some decorations to look like reindeer, marshmallows and pretzels and smarties to make snowmen.

maybe you could have your breakfast and then do ‘baking’ with the kids and make some of the other things like the snowmen or cut out ready rolled pastry shapes, or make Christmas cookies.

I think people should feel pleased with themselves for not being suckered into spending even more money on rituals that have been made up by commercial ventures specifically to relieve us of our hard-earned and rapidly dwindling cash. As if all the spending on Christmas isn't bad enough as it is they have to try to drain every last penny from us over the whole season, which now lasts from September to January 1st. And as soon as that is over they're advertising Valentines Eggs (Valentine's and Easter for sale in the same aisle).

Calliopespa · 01/12/2025 12:18

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 01/12/2025 12:15

No wonder! I often tell dd that she should restrict pancakes to weekends. It’s OK when they’re with us, it’ll be half term or other school holidays, and I’m a retired old granny with time to spare - and a good blender! 🙂

Show quote history

Yes they are a lovely thing to do on a lazy weekend morning.

PluckyChancer · 01/12/2025 12:18

Your breakfast sounds fab and you sound like a thoroughly lovely friend.

I’ve definitely not heard of a North Pole breakfast before but DH did make (microwave ready made) pancakes for 16 yr old DS before school today as a treat as it’s the 1st of December.😋

ThisLittlePony · 01/12/2025 12:19

JFDIYOLO · 01/12/2025 12:16

... What the actual extra expense/planning/work/faff/guilt for women is happening here?

What the actual is going on with those who don’t even read ops posts! 😫

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 01/12/2025 12:23

We do a Vegetarian Brunch on the weekend if Dec 1st falls on a weekday.
When the DC were little I'd do pancakes and syrup.

We did do a breakfast for Christmas Morning that had milkshake made up in those tiny glass bottles that were popular,and toast with Nutella.

Honestly the replies on here. No one is holding you at gunpoint 🤔

My DD had a Pain au Chocolat and a latte as we're traveling and the trains got re-scheduled so couldn't have breakfast as planned. But she'll cope 😁
Vegetarian Brunch will be tomorrow

MaloryJones · 01/12/2025 12:23

ThisLittlePony · 01/12/2025 12:19

What the actual is going on with those who don’t even read ops posts! 😫

Show quote history

Totally tedious isn't it ?

As for those who have never heard of such breakfasts, are they new ?
Every Christmas, for at least 3 years (my time here) there have been threads on North Pole/December 1st Breakfasts so No, not New .
The OP is doing something lovely for Children in what I figure are awful/sad family circumstances but all some can do is have pops at Her or the Breakfast

Its the CHRISTMAS board for a start , not AIBU, and the OP makes if clear she is asking IF you partake !

Arregaithel · 01/12/2025 12:24

ChristmasHasCome · 01/12/2025 05:56

Humble brag. Fucking hell if you knew what these kids were going through it’s certainly nothing to brag about. And it’s a few pancakes, crumpets and fruit dressed up a bit differently.

UK yes.

Edited

Show quote history

I do apologise, I was smiling in my head when I typed and even with my edit omitted my "winky"😉

I'm sure the children had a wonderful morning.

Sorry.

Wildflowers78 · 01/12/2025 12:25

Some people have too much too much time on their hands! It’s a regular Monday morning OP.. what on earth are you fussing about? We get the advent calendars out and get on with our day.

HewasH2O · 01/12/2025 12:25

@ChristmasHasCome I do wish you had a photo of the strawberry & banana candy ones. Try as I might, I can't visualise them.

It sounds as though you've done your absolute best to sprinkle a little magic this morning.

ThisLittlePony · 01/12/2025 12:26

Wildflowers78 · 01/12/2025 12:25

Some people have too much too much time on their hands! It’s a regular Monday morning OP.. what on earth are you fussing about? We get the advent calendars out and get on with our day.

Well you don’t seem to have enough time to read the thread in order to do a relevant post do you?

KittyFinlay · 01/12/2025 12:27

JFDIYOLO · 01/12/2025 12:16

... What the actual extra expense/planning/work/faff/guilt for women is happening here?

People are having FUN with their children. Some people get pleasure out of watching their children enjoying themselves and are even willing to put in a bit of expense, planning and work. Strangely enough, men are also able to fry a pancake or toast a crumpet and many do- nowhere does OP specify her gender.

OP didn't say you had to. You can be as puritanical as you like with your own kids and they can have 30g of All Bran and not a flake more every morning, 365 days a year. Or you can completely eliminate any of the work and joy involved in having children by not having children.

Calliopespa · 01/12/2025 12:27

Just realised I forgot the advent calendars.😬

I got everything prepared then totally forgot.

fiorentina · 01/12/2025 12:27

You sound a lovely person trying to do something fun for children having a hard time. We have done a ‘North Pole’ breakfast when kids were much younger - I did choose a weekend to do it and had things they love to eat but just with a Xmas twist and decorated the table.

ThisLittlePony · 01/12/2025 12:28

@HewasH2O someone else up thread posted a pic of theirs, def planning to do them! Hope is ok to repost.