Church/open presents - timetable dilemma

[roisin]

OK - Who is good at the Krypton Factor?
Can you resolve our schedule for tomorrow?
ds2 (12) usually get up very early and would be happy to open presents at 6am
ds1 (14) enjoys lie-ins during the holidays, will come with us grudgingly to church but doesn't really want to get up early, even to open presents.
dh (Minister) - as well as getting to church to prepare for the service, he is also cooking - at church - Christmas dinner again for who knows how many people. (I'm assisting). He's laidback and flexible about numbers, but he does need to be there prepping early.

We've been to visit most of the relatives already and exchanged gifts, but not opened them yet. So there are huge piles of presents under the tree, which will take a while to open, but I just can't see when we will fit in opening presents into the day tomorrow!

Save all the presents for the evening - then you can all relax together. Merry Christmas!

One present / stocking in the morning and the rest when you get home?

I think your DS1 can make an effort for the sake of the family, for one day.

Father Christmas / parents stockings as soon as everyone is awake (prodding the later risers). Breakfast and church.
Relatives and friends presents after lunch.
That way the excitement is continued but contained.

Works for us :)

How about opening stockings on Christmas day and then holding over the rest of the presents to boxing day when everything is more relaxed? A distant relative who is a now retired minister used to do this with his family and it seemed to work quite well. His kids had grown up with that though so to them it was normal. I don't know how well a teenager would take to it.

As the daughter of a long line of ministers (and now a missionary myself) our day has always been
open stockings and 'main present' from parents
church
lunch
open rest of presents.

Unfortunately where we are now also has an afternoon service so not sure where that leaves us!

Hmmm

I think reinstate Boxing Day as a proper boxing day and open the gifts very leisurely then instead.

I actually save all of our gifts from friends and family we don't see until Boxing Day otherwise Christmas day is just too frantic.

We always had to go to church - 11am service, not exactly considerate to the cook! Stockings in the morning, presents usually didn't get opened till after lunch (whenever that was, and obv if queens speech then on that took priority).

I didn't think much of this as a kid (though I never complained), esp as at the service the kids always were expected to go to the front and tell people what their favourite present was.

Grimma our service is at 10am and last year we didn't make it as I wasn't even dressed!

Thanks for all the suggestions.
Dh is going to go to church to do some prep early, then come back at 8.
We will do present opening at 8.30-ish.
ds1 will have to be up by then.

LOL

Poor DS

Has anyone asked you or your dh if you're enjoying the time off yet

Our church has 2 services one at 9.30 (ideal for families) and then one at 10.30 for those wanting longer in bed. It's because our church building is too small to sit everyone (we normally meet for morning service in school) so more to do with size than accomodating the cooking schedule but works !

Our routine is - up early (7am-ish) before OH heads off to church for the early service) - open stockings and one other present at this point: a DVD is good, then they can watch it whilst OH is out and it stops them looking frustratedly at the rest of their presents. Then breakfast, church mid-morning, then more presents whilst the last prep for dinner is happening, and any extra presents that don't get opened before dinner, can be opened after.