How can we make Christmas Day special with just the four of us this year?

[KronkeyCroc]

For various reasons it looks like it is just going to be DH and our two kids for Christmas this year (8 and 11) for the first time ever. I’m a bit sad as I love a big Christmas and we usually have at least one set of parents and used to see siblings and nieces and nephews. Christmas Day is usually full of games and laughs. But as siblings children have grown they have started to go abroad, which is fair enough.

What do you do to make it fun and special if it’s just you and the kids at home Christmas Day? I know we can still play games but unfortunately my two argue A LOT when playing so I fear this may not be much fun.

They are still young, and my youngest is still definitely into all the magic of it so I feel like I need to do something to make up for the fact they won’t see any other family. Ideas welcome!

One of our Christmas traditions is that everyone gets to choose a pudding!
On the day, we have a normal breakfast, then presents, then fairly normal roast dinner but no pudding. We go for a walk, and afterwards have all our (previously chosen and prepared) puddings instead of an evening meal. We're a family of five, so it looks like an impressive array. Your guys are just old enough to really enjoy choosing a pudding, and help make it as well.

When they were younger, I'd often steer the kids towards choosing an ice-cream so that it could be made in advance. We've often done a baklava, as that's dead easy but looks impressive. A gingerbread house always goes down well too - when my kids were at your stage, I'd make the house but leave them to it for decorating.

When mine were that age, a generation ago now, they LOVED radio controlled cars, including making them dodge or crash into each other. Need batteries of course . . . Walkie-talkies? Maybe old hat now but if they don't have them might be a bit of temporary magic.

I prefer Christmas just the three of us. Nothing worse than family members taking up your sofa and having to sit on the floor. I get my prime corner sofa position.

Definitely prefer it being just us, that’s the best!

DS is 5 and we have always had Christmas with just the 3 of us. It’s bliss. We have no desire to have extended family disrupting our day!

A small christmas is my heaven. When I was kid I was dragged about around family houses. We have 2 boys and we see family before and after the big day. Christmas day itself is me, OH, 2 boys, a cat and my MIL (she lives alone so she comes to us for the day) and it's bliss. We've started having christmas dinner on Xmas eve and eat what we want on Xmas day. No major cooking, washing up, strict times. The clock doesn't exist. We play games, watch rubbish on TV and chill out. Perfect 😊

OP we started having Xmas day just us during Covid and then sadly lost my Nan and we all kind of do our own thing now but have a big family party between Xmas and new year.

I have children similar age to you. We do gifts, then a lovely breakfast at home. This year we’re mixing things up with Xmas dinner Xmas eve and then party food on Xmas day. Getting the kids involved in choosing what they want. If the weather is dry we have planned a walk on the beach, and always get them a game that we can play. Then back home to snuggle and watch a Xmas film and dessert.

Following

Don't try and compensate or replicate the feeling of lots of people, because that just ends up highlighting more how you don't have them here..

Instead lean into the advantages of 4 over 10/12/more.

Less people = more time together, less time cleaning, less cooking, more time with each child. Easier to do things that require concentration... Easier to be close and warm with your family.. no need to show off or act for others etc.

Play into the advantages of smaller Christmases because they are great in many ways.

I had big ones growing up, I missed them when they went away for a while. Until I had kids and then even now when we do have big Christmases, I end up finding them getting in the way of actually spending time with my children. Instead I end up spending all my time with people I care less about..

My dream Christmas is not having to spend it with other people. As soon as I had my own children, Christmas day was just us.

No travel, no hosting, no having to drive anywhere. Just battening down the hatches, playing, eating what we want, when we want and relaxing and having fun!

It sounds lovely so I hope you don’t think I’m being a dick but how do you make an excellent pig in blanket? What does he do that isn’t just wrapping a sausage in a piece of bacon?

He has a maple glaze that he adds to the bacon first, it's hardly rocket science but omg I could eat about 50 of those things.

Last Christmas we took the kids to the skate park at lunchtime. It was empty, and one of those gorgeous sunny cold days.

like PP I’d prefer a nuclear family Christmas over anything else so am coming at this from a different poc to you!

@Mulledjuice "During Covid it was lovely walking through the centre of london and along the Thames when it was almost empty."

I did this the first Christmas after my DH died in 2016, although it was in Bristol and I did it alone. My adult son didn't want to join me and I have no other relatives left. It was surprising rather lovely. The streets were almost empty, the harbour was adorned with lights and the church bells were ringing. I stopped off for a festive flavoured coffee and just took in the atmosphere of my own city. I worked up quite an appetite for lunch after all that fresh air too.

Have a read through one of the best Mumsnet threads. Choose a recipe and make it a day or so before so you have a something new and special for the day.

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/mumsnet_classics/3527870-Which-is-the-tastiest-Protestant-traybake

I don’t think you have to be a Protestant to eat it.

See my reply above, didn't post as a reply for some reason.

Thank you all so much for your replies. Some lovely ideas in here and made me much more excited for it! I think embracing the chance to do whatever we want and eating whatever we want for the day sounds like something the kids would love. Thank you.

I try to engineer Xmas days just us every year, they are the best!

On the odd occasion it’s just been a few of us for Xmas dinner I have gone for something easy to cook and definitely not traditional. But special. Like say a bought beef wellington, new potatoes and veg. Starters and desserts bought in. Table still fully dressed with a centrepiece. I’ve enjoyed the fact that I can be more present and spend less time in the kitchen.

Are your kids Potter fans? As Netflix is dropping the new series I'd be tempted to go a bit magical this Christmas (but I am a massive Potter head and did something similar during Covid when the kids woke up to hogwarts trunks rather than stockings! They loved it)...

Include a couple of Potter-themed gifts in their stocking e.g. Bertie Botts every flavour beans (other magical sweets e.g. chocolate frogs are available), butter beer, potions bubble bath, house-themed accessories, pin badges, wand pens etc. There is loads of merch to choose from! You can even get flying snitches.

Then amongst their main presents a HP lego set each that they can make when you are making dinner etc. And/or a themed board game of which there are a few - we've got a really good quidditch game and our friends have one that is a collaborative quest.

Finally all snuggle up after dinner and watch the philosopher's Stone.