Christmas with young kids is shit

[tuttifuckinfruity]

anyone else?

It looks wonderful with kids from maybe age 5 or so......but I have a 3 year old and a 1 year old and my husband and I are tearing our hair out.

3 year old is obviously overexcited, but that has manifested in some pretty naughty / defiant behaviour today. 1 year old doesn't have a clue and, when the 3 year old is behaving nicely and trying to help wrap some last minute presents / lay out snacks for Santa and Rudolph, the 1 year old is ripping up wrapping paper and scattering milk and porridge oats everywhere. Which gets the 3 year old stressed and bad tempered.

I dunno. It's just chaos. But everyday is chaos with them. I'm not really explaining it very well, I know I'm not. I know I'm not the only one, but I'm just putting out there in contrast to all the perfect Facebook posts doing the rounds tonight.

Happy Christmas 🥃

@BertieBotts

Clockstop we've put ours on the table so the 2yo can't easily get to them. He couldn't reach at all when he was 1. He can reach now but at least it gives us a bit of distance to say no if he wants to dive in.

Sadly my 1 you can scale tables and bookshelves..we've managed it ok now. DD has been banished to her room with all the toys that have tiny or breakable bits..she seems happy

I think Xmas is so commercial and over hyped and people get into such a stress fest over it all.

My partner prefers to give the kids gifts throughout the year instead. I think it's a great idea, saves all the crazy present over spending and other expectations. My kids don't even know it's Xmas day! They are 6 and 3.

We'll cook a nice gousto dinner later and just chill out.

It's actually a relief to just do nothing at all for Christmas

To be fair my 10 year old had a mini meltdown just now, late morning. She felt too hot, no temperature but DH had cranked the heating up. She hadn't eaten any breakfast despite me offering her various options. Just felt overwhelmed. After a cuddle and some food she felt better.

Hope everyone has a good day despite the hard work that is parenting. There's no shame in saying it's hard and not enjoying it 100% of the time doesn't make you a bad mum, you're only human!

This thread has made me feel so much better! I have a 2yo and a 6mo. Both full of cold and baby is teething so very grouchy and moany today. Toddler has been very emotional lately and does a cry/moan thing all day non stop, even when doing things she likes. I ask her if she's happy while opening presents and she says no because she bumped her finger early this morning (she wasn't hurt at all). She's in a bit of a better mood now at least, but baby has screamed for an hour and is finally asleep. Same shit, Christmas day!

I have a teen who never shows excitement (not even as a toddler, he has a hyperchilled laidback always seems bored type personality) and a crazy hyper toddler that has spent the day rampaging and shouting 'no, no no' and Im 11 weeks pregnant again and organised xmas through awful morning sickness.

I wouldnt change it for the world... I HATED xmas before I had kids, it was the most insufferably depressing time of the year, its a day for kids so the space between childhood and parenthood was just empty.