Christmas ideas and tips

[ejcmonster]

Hi everyone I’m new to mums net, I have 2 children a girl who will be 17 in a few weeks and a boy who is 14.
aboth children are autistic and have complex needs.
Every year we go crazy sacks or stockings, presents half way up the tree.
Before people say I know Iv made a rod for my own back!
Im fed up of buying lodes and lodes of pointless presents that I end up selling on vinted for not even a quarter of the price!
Anyway this year id like to begin winding down, changing sacks for real stockings and having presents under the tree that mean something not getting 3 hours in and having my son saying “next,next”.
Im looking for some advice as it’s going to be a big change for them but I think it’s needed and not so much my daughter but my son I have no idea what to get!!!
he has Tourettes so when I ask what he wants for Xmas all I get is “potato” or “poo”.
Any help or advise would be great, please no nasty comments as I’m here for help like everyone else.
thanks xxxx

With their additional needs, will they understand if you started telling them now that you’ll be spending less/they’ll be getting less? If so, start having that conversation sporadically over the next few months.

What does your Christmas Day look like? Can you build in times for present opening and times for other things (helping you cook/lay the table/walk).

Something that my parents did (they just wanted to extend excitement) was an after dinner/evening present. We’d open presents, have lunch, play with/use the presents, see family then another present would appear.

As for what to get them, what are they in to? It’s hard to make suggestions without knowing what they enjoy.
Look at what they spend their time doing then think of presents around that.

Hiya,
thanks for reply, well normally the morning normally takes at least 3 hours opening presents and then we go to my parents, so I could ask that my side of the family give presents after lunch?
That’s the hard thing lol my daughter is easier as she is into all sorts and would appreciate smellies etc my son would look at me with 3 heads and is no longer into lush.
he is getting a switch 2 so that is a huge part of the budget but it’s just hard making him realise how much that one item costs!!!

I'd make sure they know in advance that things might look different this year so it isn't a shock on the day. Maybe a social story about getting a "special present" and a few smaller ones rather than a huge pile?

Tbh I wonder if they'll prefer a lower stimulus Christmas with fewer gifts and more time to play with what they get.

If your son is no longer into lush then could you look at other things like aftershaves, body sprays that will get used?

Maybe get some large boxs for gifts to fill up space. I use Christmas themed stacking boxs, sometimes there is 1 item in 1 box with tissue to wrap it, sometimes lots of niggly things. I’ve also used the stacking boxs to make a game out of presents, each layer has a clue, e.g I got my DD tickets to Six the musical, each box held a clue before she finally opened the big box which had her tickets in it. The clues can be home made. I also did the same with George Ezra tickets, used diy scrabble tikes to spell out 3 of his songs.

We only did sacks one year I hated them and went back to just putting presents under the tree. I feel the same about stockings (I never had them growing up) now I fill the stockings with their sweet treats and selection boxs, depending on size some might end up in the sacks. The bulk goes under the tree then extras I’ve either not wrapped (small and annoying) or just something to put in the sacks. Mainly the sacks stay very empty and are used to collate presents after they are unwrapped.

I once had the idea I was going to do the whole Russian doll stacking thing with boxs but never got round to it.

But ultimately I think you really do need to prewar and manage expectations, it may mean a meltdown this year but fingers crossed next year will be better.

Do DCs know it’s you and not really Santa?