When does Christmas become enjoyable again?

[PanicAtTheTesco1]

It goes without saying that I absolutely adore my DS (8 months) but wow I'm finding my first Christmas with a baby hard!

I usually love Christmas, but this year it just feels totally pointless. DS is too little to feel any Christmas magic, so it's just the drudgery of nappy changes, weaning, and fighting sleep but with a Christmas tree in the background.

We're currently staying at my inlaws and I really miss the days of turning up, grabbing a drink and relaxing with everyone. Instead, it's been trying to keep DS entertained, trying to get him to nap in an unfamiliar bed and trying to get him to eat something.

To top it off he's had a cold for about 3 weeks and conjunctivitis, so we're having to clean his eyes and put drops in every few hours which is always a battle.

I feel really sad, like I'm watching everyone else have a nice Christmas while I'm still trapped in parenting purgatory.

When will I enjoy Christmas again?

It'll come, promise! Probably next year will feel like an improvement and even more so the year after.

My youngest is 3 now and things are pretty good so far this christmas. (Except for him changing his mind about the present he wanted from Santa).

Hes quite independent even at this age and wants to do everything on his own.

Ha! Feel for your ILs who are still having to host their adult son and family. Christmas stops being enjoyable when you stop being the child and have to host and presumably starts being enjoyable again when you can start being a guest at your children's house. I currently am hosting for 3 generations including DHs siblings (and yes, they are all staying in the house for several days). MIL is lovely and a great help (she's doing tea tonight) and my teenage DC are fine and have been helpful tidying, but the adults who have never hosted and so don't think to help are the issue. Especially the one who only decided she was coming on Monday (she lives in Asia). Apparently we are suppose to be delighted she's coming.

I've got a 2 year old now and my top tip is don't go to other people's houses for Christmas, stay at home and have the day by yourselves or people can come to you. We spent the first 2 Christmases since having DC trudging round relatives on Christmas day and boxing day and for me it took all of the fun out of it because we had to plan it like a military operation, take so much stuff, stop DD messing with MILs tree whilst they inform us at 18 months she should know what not to touch, plus then the inevitable danger nap on the way home at 5 so no evening for us..this year we're at home on our own and I couldn't be happier about it! We'll get evenings to ourselves to eat junk and watch tv and DD is old enough to enjoy presents and play games. It does get easier.

@JaninaDuszejko Not that it was in any way the point of the post, but we did actually offer to host our inlaws, and have hosted in the past. They chose to have Christmas at their house this year so that they could have both grandkids over, so keep your bitterness about having to host to yourself, thanks.

Much rather a Christmas entertaining a baby that everyone will want to play with and hold than dragging a couple of hormonal grumpy teenagers around to various elderly family members who will make ill fated attempt at small talk while they just get grunted at in reply.

So to answer your question from around age 2 until 11 is fun. Then I guess you jut wait it out for Grandchildren.

Clearly you’re a bit sensitive OP, no need to snap at people.

IMO, 0-1 is about as easy as it gets. So good luck next year, and so on…

When they're old enough to host you, and you just turn up and get your reward for all the years of hard graft!
But seriously, I'd say its when they're old enough to take enough pleasure from the day it outweighs the challenges. Maybe 3?
In the meantime delegate and share the load if you can.

Wow needlessly harsh about hosting their OP?

And my eldest is nearly 8 and I still can’t relax or enjoy a drink, so you’ll be waiting OP. As another poster said that’s the easiest stage so best of luck.

I think there's a brief few years when children aren't too young and grandparents aren't too old ... .

My son has just turned two and this is the first year he understands that something fun is happening :) It's pretty fun :D I can't wait to see his face tomorrow morning.

Golden ages here have been from about 4-8/9 years old. My youngest is 6 and is so excited and full of the magic.
From around 3 is when they start to get it and enjoy it.

I hear you op! DS is nearly 3, we are at my inlaws (who are lovely) and I’m having a fab time. His first Xmas was awful. He was still having and desperately needed 2 naps, but hated the morning one. I remember pushing the pram around for an hour on Christmas morning to try and get him to sleep! Then he threw Xmas dinner everywhere. He’ll devour it this year. Oh god I’m pregnant and I’m dreading having a baby at Xmas again, toddlers and beyond are so much better! X

Mine is nearly 3 and I'm still finding it pretty challenging TBH He's a bit ill, out of his routine and massively overstimulated and it means he's being a total ratbag. I'm shattered!

DD was 6 months old her first Christmas: DH and I ate lunch in shifts. 😁

I would say 2.5 years old was the first one that meant anything to her. The one in between was fine.

Absolutely this

DS 26 DD23 it's enjoyable now their grown up 😂

this is us too. DS will be 3 in January and is finding things hard (as are we!) We are staying at grandparents and he's just getting over weeks of illness.

Our two had conjunctivitis OP and after trying drops for a few days (for bacterial conjunctivitis) which didnt work, the GP said its probably viral conjunctivitis which is apparently much more common. and said we didn't have to use the drops anymore and that made life a lot easier! just kept up with the cleaning.

Just waiting until you've got a horrible teenager . That's the worst. It'll get better, but now all that has passed for us, just the two of us pleasing ourselves. Bliss.

The Christmas my dd was 3 was when it started to become enjoyable, my youngest is 2 and with his elder sister to bounce off, the pair of them are so excited and it makes Christmas wonderful.

The best years we're when they were 3-12. Currently in the back of the car on our way to MILs with 18yo and 16yo who would rather be out with their mates. MIL too old to host really.

I have lived every Christmas since having children. For me an 8 month old would be a dream at Christmas, but we stay at home. We don't visit or have visitors in the day, just us;

I thought the first Christmas with a baby was good to be honest. Ds1 was 4 months old. All the relatives wanted to see him. I felt like I’d given birth to a messiah or something by the way I was treated by everyone!

My DD was 4 months at her first Christmas and easy to deal with.

Christmas Day stayed at home. Went out to local family friendly restaurant for Christmas dinner. Other people there helped entertainment DD as they thought she was cute.

Christmas Eve, then Boxing Day and the days up to New Year we visited people. Unlike usual we weren't expected to help clear up.