I read this tip in my Mum's magazine.........so, what are you doing to make Christmas time special for your DC's

[Ineedsomesleep]

Was flicking through my Mum's magazine the other week and spotted this tip:

"if you are short of money, or don't want your children to focus on the material side of christmas then ask them what they would like to happen over Christmas. This will get them to focus on things other than presents"

Asked DS and he immediately started rattling off a long list of stuff he's seen advertised and thinks he would like.

After a little chat he started telling me who he would like to eat his lunch with, who he would like to see etc. So its working for us.

I've also read with interest the threads on what you are buying for a 2 year old DD and how much do you spend on your DC's at Christmas.

So....what do you do to make Christmas more special?

So far we have got planned:

A trip to Thomas Land's Magical Christmas (won)
Friends coming over for lunch a couple of days before Christmas.
A visit to another friends house for Christmas Crafts, also before Christmas.
Grandparent's staying over on Christmas Eve.
A fun filled Christmas Day.

Ladyglen - i did it even when I went home for christmas from Uni and I still have the same stocking I had every year as a child there IS hope!!

That's good to know Dizzy. I do remember every year when I was a teenager my mother saying that she was going to stop doing stockings because we were too old and we all fervently insisted we were not. Now she comes to us for Christmas and I do her a stocking!

We have written to Santa (he came down the chimney a few nights ago and took the letter ). We have made some Xmas photo frames, and will be making some decorations. Tree goes up next week, and then the Xmas music will start (much to DHs annoyance).
Panto booked for early january, and hoping to fit in a visit to Santa before Chrimbo(although not easy cos of school). Also lots of excitement about the school nativity!And then there's the big day itself.........

Oooooooh I love Xmas!

I so look forward to Christmas as it is a time when all 3 of us are off school/work at the same time, with no other committments (i.e. not going away) and can spend ages just being together.

Me and DD are going to go to Gloucester Cathedral for the carol service on 23rd or 24th to sing carols very loudly.

We are planning to go to devon for a walk on the beach over the break. Nothing more beautiful than Saunton or Woolacombe beach in the middle of winter.

Watchuing Muppet Christmas Carol (best Xmas film ever).

Drunken sing star party.

Ladyglen - dd is nearly 14 and she still wants to do all of that - weleave a mince pie and carrots out before bed, she still loves having a stocking (she laughes especially at the satsuma and nuts which I put in every year) and loves singing carols. As long as I don;t tell her mates that is.

I love Christmas rituals and the same old things happening every year.

Pre-Christmas, we are:
going to the theatre cheap tickets through nursery's group booking)
going to Christingle service
opening proper advent calendars with pictures in
opening sweetie advent thing
lighting advent candle
going to both DCs nativity plays
writing letters to FC
going to a childrens chrismas party
making some decs
starting to put up the tree, then going to bed leaving a large Baileys for the Tree Fairy who will do the rest overnight
going for walk in the forest
putting out glittery reindeer food in the garden
leaving whisky, mince pie and carrot by the fireplace
(most of these cost next to nothing)

Christmas day and the days after will be mainly spent visiting different family and friends.

I hope it doesn't become all about the presents.

For the kids it's ALWAYS about the presents, no matter how much we kid ourselves.

not in this house Cybil - they're more excited about the other stuff - DD1 (6yrs) hasn't got a clue what to ask Santa even though we've asked her a couple of times now, DD2 is only 3yrs and still doesn't have a great understanding of it all and DD3 is just a baby

let me have a few more years before its all about the presents

DS, 5.5, will obviously be in some sort of frenzied state about his presents by the time Christmas comes around. Although, having said that we have had to wake him up on previous years.

We are trying to make it much more than the presents and get him to focus on the other nice things, like sharing lunch with his cousins, and a party in the evening with more family and friends.

I doubt DD, 2, won't be much interested in her presents anyway.