New Christmas traditions to keep the magic alive for tweens and teens

[Jinglejinglejingle7]

First Christmas of no Elf, no believing in Santa .

I need to start new traditions for the tween/teens. Any ideas on how to keep the magic?

My older one does the elf now for the younger ones but how about an elf challenge? Everyone has designated evenings to “style l the elf and come up with ideas to make everyone laugh???

Baking and crafting if they like that

Christmad Cinema films

Following. Eldest now fully knows, after a couple of years of doubts, it’s openly discussed and she wants to help put out siblings Santa gifts. Feels weird and I wonder whether to just do all the same things as usual. Of course will do for the wee one but I wonder how to keep it all feeling magical. I mean I still find Christmas fairly magical just with log fires and fairy lights and a beautiful Christmas tree. So hopefully don’t need to do too much!

Mine still love their North Pole breakfast & every year we do a show

Mine still love their North Pole breakfast & every year we do a show

I do a DIY advent calendar for my DD - who is 15 and been doing it for the last three years. So lots of small things - stickers/pin badges related to what she’s in to - and a couple of slightly more expensive stocking filler things. I wrap everything and write messages on some of the things. she loves it

Ice skating
Reindeer farm
WWT nature reserve to see the winter migratory geese (might sound boring but it's bloody spectacular!).
Put on a karaoke show and invite friends over.
Set up a fancy winter drinks station with hot chocolate, marshmallows, squirty cream, etc.
Make gingerbread houses.
Go to a winter light festival.
Christmas market.
Carol concert.
Midnight Mass.
Make a wreath for the front door.
Do an advent challenge where you do something good every day instead of getting a chocolate in an advent calendar.

Thanks, yes last year my eldest did the elf alot for yougest but now they both dont believe it feels different!

I make a "Christmas movie advent calendar" every year. It's pretty much exactly what it sounds like, a Christmas movie every day of December until 24th December! I'm in my late twenties though 😂

Dress their rooms when they are asleep.

Some fairy lights, a tiny xmas tree, fake snow on the windows, and a xmas bed cover thrown over their duvet can transform a room so they wake up "in Christmas"

It's also quite good fun trying to transform a room quietly. 😁

I would honestly still do the elf! I think it’s even more funny when you know mums had to do it! My partner and I did the elf for each other when our baby was a few months. The idea that he would throw flour on the worktop after cleaning the kitchen for the night when I was fast asleep always made me giggle.

Actually, in that vein, my mam and dad and I went along with the idea of Santa my whole life, I put out a mince pie for Santa when I was staying with them at 32 and pregnant and lo and behold there were only crumbs left in the morning.(I’m not completely deluded before I get scoffs, it’s just a bit of fun)

When the time comes with my little one I’m hoping to have a proper chat about how magical Santa is. That people all around the world send letters and visit santas, and there’s an international team of (mostly mam’s) spending months preparing for Christmas Eve and isn’t that just so magical. I think this can really be reinforced by having kids help with things like Operation Christmas Child boxes, the “reverse advent calendar” of giving to a local foodbank, or any local toy appeals.

Or get them to take turns! See if they can outdo each other!

Keep the magic alive ? Or which consumerist yet age appropriate trend should you buy into next? All so completely unnecessary.

We still do the elf. Granted I have two younger ones who still believe as well as the older three but he’s been part of our Christmas for 13 years now so I can’t see it ever ending!

Older ones enjoy things like Christmas Jorvik, the Christmas tree festival at York minster, picking the Christmas tree at a local farm, decorating together, Christmas films and hot chocolate, ice skating, Christmas markets, light shows and the crib service at York minster on Xmas Eve.

Mumsnet is unnecessary and yet here we are.

At some stage us mums need to accept we are trying to keep xmas alive for us and our teens really aren't fussed about the stuff we are trying to pretend they still love

I'm 40 and Santa still leaves chocolate coins out for me! Ask them what they want to do.

There are some very miserable people on this thread. My sons are no longer teens, but early twenties and they still love Christmas. They are still happy to get matching pyjama sets, still put their stockings on their heads like hats. We still film them hanging up their stockings for Father Christmas just like we always have. There is always a feeling of fun and joy.

We watch Christmas movies, have a Christmas menu and we add in something new each year, a decoration or some baubles. They still hang their named baubles up on the tree. We still drive around the neighbourhood looking at everyone's Christmas lights, there is a street near us where everyone goes to town. Ds2 puts up the outside lights with Dh as always, Ds1 decorates the hall with me as it needs 2 people to do the stair garland.

This is more difficult as Ds1 is working full time post uni, Ds2 is at uni but they still make time to join in with things we have always done.

The elf retired for a couple of years but then I brought him back out of retirement which they loved because they like to remember the excitement of it all. The best thing we ever did with him was pin him to the curtains so he looked like he was caught mid-climb. But then I have lovely sons who are just as sentimental as their Dad, Dh.

We still do Santa and no one expresses any doubts because Santa only comes to those who believe! (Though of course they know, and they sneak a stocking into MIL's room early Christmas morning before she wakes)

Part of the magic is tradition- particular biscuits or sausage rolls that only get made in December. Home Alone and Jingle all the Way. Christingle service followed by the pub on Christmas Eve. Seeing Christmas lights. Decorating the tree. Music.

Then add some surprises e.g. a special trip out to a show or restaurant or activity like ice skating.

An extra surprise/special present - I remember one year when I was a child I'd circled a few gifts in the Argos catalogue only expecting one of them, and mum got me the first but also got me the multicoloured Walkman that I was really hoping for but didn't think I was getting after opening the other.

This year if it's your thing you could all sit down as a family and watch the new Harry Potter series (that is my plan for Boxing Day! While eating leftovers and cheese)

Sorry to disagree but I absolutely hated the elf, such a massive chore! I think it would wear off with tweens/ teenagers who don’t believe. I think @LancashireButterPieabove has some great ideas that i”d align with x

Thanks- I have to say the Elf was starting to cause resentment between dh & i on who's turn it was! Sil sent it to the dx years ago ans started that tradition- we might do it sometines.

Ice skating, hot chocs, films, lights etc we will do. Going to see reindeer, garden center to pick a decoration. Gingerbread house etc.

Mine are all older teens and they LOVE being prt of it all.

The 15 and 17yr old help me 'elf' which involves them helping to pick and then wrap the gifts I get each other and their sibling. They never tell and get so much pleasure from being in on the secret.

We do Christmas baking. We make a big deal of decorating the tree with a festive cocktail or mocktail and playing Christmas music.

We also do a Christmas film advent calendar. Sometimes they're doing their homework at the same time, but we always have a Christmas film on in the evening in Dec.

We go out for Christmas coffees at the weekend.

Santa drops off a board game on Xmas eve and we play it before bed. Then they repeat with grandparents the next day.

Christmas with tweens and teens is just as magic, but in a different way.

@Jinglejinglejingle7Ooo yeah a garden centre!

I've done an Advent calendar treasure hunt at that age. I had one of these you fill yourself and on odd days I would put in some riddle (maths, logic, ...) that would lead to some treats. Sometimes I run it over 2-3 days especially when eldest was a young teen and then have a something a bit bigger. It's a lot of work, but also a lot of fun! Mine were good at working together.

Nowadays as late teenager & young adult our traditions are baking and cooking Christmas Dinner together- not a roast! My DC choose what they want to cook/ eat.

We have a list of films we all love to rewatch Nativity, The Holiday and Bridget Jones amongst others plus we usually fit in some or all Harry Potter intertwined with Christmas Miranda’s, Outnumbered and Gavin And Stacey.

Plus nice Christmas nibbles and food. Board games and homemade quizzes.

We did do other things apart from watching tv and films when they were young! But I feel tv and film is a very important part of childhood too 😂

'Do an advent challenge where you do something good every day instead of getting a chocolate in an advent calendar.'

If I suggested this to my 16 year old, she'd move out.