So how do we all feel about xmas in this part of the board????

[ImdreadinganAUTIExmas]

My feelings are mnixed. DS2 is getting excited and ds3 will like the paper, but ds1....... He doesn't understand about xmas, but likes presents and flashing lights. I used to feel sad that it wasn't how I thought it would be, but now I don't think I even feel that- I almost feel nothing.

I find the whole thing extra hassle- still have to post everything for example and ds1 is now off school so I can't get to the PO, and of course can't get to the supermarket except at night/weekend.

I haven't dared put up the xmas tree yet as ds1 will stim over it and get routiney over the lights, and ds3 will be trying to pull himself up. Haven't put up any xmas cards as ds1 will just pull them all down. If we didn't have ds2 I may just have tried to forget it.

Oh and on xmas day I'll be 35- half way to 70! Deep joy.

Interested how everyone finds it on SN. Bah humbug.

Mixed feelings

it's lovely seeing Grace so excited (she ran round the room today shouting 9 days to go!!!!)

But then it still upsets me that Ellie does not understand yet, but hopefully she will one year!!

Mixed as well. DS3 has more understanding this year but just isn't that interested.

The others are very excited though, the worst being my almost thirteen year old who I know will be awake all night xmas eve.

Mixed feelings here too. Ds1 is really into it this year and eagerly counting the days until Christmas day. At the same time he is starting to feel unsettled about the changes to his usual routine at school. It doesn't help that a lot of the new activities will involve extra noise, eg the carol concert, Christmas party etc. Generally though he seems to be coping well and thankfully his teacher is preparing him for changes whenever she can.

Ds2 is a nightmare. He loves the Christmas lights that we see when out and about but I don't dare have any at home. Taking him into town is very difficult atm. Too many people, too much noise, and too many decorations with stimming potential. Christmas shopping with him is almost impossible as he insists on going to exactly the same shops in exactly the same order each time. If I see something I want/need in a different shop window I can't just go in and buy it. I have to make a note of it and ask dh to get it later. On top of all that ds2 has developed an escalator fixation. Even falling down one after running away from me hasn't cured it.

And of course Christmas Day is on a Sunday - the day of the week that they both use to relax and de-stress before the new week begins. Not much chance of that on Christmas day.

The verdict: yippeeee for ds1 but "oh b*gger!" for everything else.

bethron ds1 only "got"presents last year aged 5. This is the first year they won't be going under the xmas tree.

aww- I remember taking ds1 to see father xmas when he was 4- he rushed in and rushed straight out again, I graabed his hood- reached back and grabbed the present of a very surprised looking Santa.

Interesting one.

Put the tree up - put it in H's playpen as a precaution - expected her to be fascinated by the lights and wanting to eat the baubles - the one bit of Xmas she might "get": alas, she's ignored it completely which has upset DH a bit. Every now and then something she does is a bit of a "reality check" to him and that was one of those things.

I'm feeling very scroogelike as I just can't be arsed to get her any presents. This should be what Xmas is all about, shouldn't it? But she isn't interested in toys or unwrapping things: she doesn't really play in any meaningful way at the moment or even have any objects she shows reliable interest in - and I've dragged round the toy shops without finding anything where I thought "oh, H will love that!" - not even the baby stuff. I'm almost at the point of buying toys I know she'll ignore just because it's easier to have something to unwrap for her in front of the rellies than to have to explain to them why we haven't got her X Y or Z like so-and-so's little kid.

This is the 1st year my ds understands about Santa but hasn't asked for any presents? He's been 100% calmer than last year but iv kept changes to the minimum. All relatives are banned from staying this year after i had to pack my bags and go home because they couldn't stand his behaviour. So hoping will be a v. merry one with just us

Ds1 (NT) is extremely excited and Ds2 has some idea and interest but there is a definite difference and that always makes me feel a bit sad. However Ds2 has enough interest in presents and enough understanding of it all to get by and he enjoys family occasions with my parents there so Christmas Day should be nice.

I was so proud of Ds2 though last week when the preschool took him to see Santa in the forest. I wasn't sure how he would find it but apparently he went in and took his present and said "Thank you Father Christmas" without any prompting really beautifully. Whereas all the NT kids just grabbed it and didn't remember to thank.

Ds2's behaviour seems to have got more difficult but he does sometimes go through difficult phases anyway plus he is starting a new school in January which is bound to unsettle him, so there could be a number of reasons for that.

I think its hard when they don't notice, and you can't think of anything to get them interested. I ordered a pile off stuff from a SN catalogue this year- lots of balls, lights, flashing things etc.

Big contrast in our house between DS1 and DS2. DS1 counting the days, DS2 oblivious! Wew put our Christmas tree up tonight and DS2 was actively ignoring it - at one point I took his hand to show him the tree and he just turned away. Bit sad, but it's what he always does - ignores anything new or unfamiliar. I expect over the next few days he'll creep up and have a sneaky look at it (and a suck of the baubles) from time to time. He seems to understand 'Father Christmas' and 'Christmas tree' when we show him pictures, but got a very puzzled look on his face today when our friend Chris came to lunch (he also has a white beard to add to the confusion...). I remember last year being really upset when we watched the video we took of Christmas morning and it showed DS2 not taking any notice of his presents at all. But he was a bit better on his birthday in October, so we'll see. I've got him an indoor sandpit - do you think that's something i might regret?

well...tree went up 2nite as we had a 'nightmare carpet fitting dissruption' up to today....and despite me and alex (6) putting up the tree...decorating it...walking to and fro in front of leigh...getting decorations out of boxes...getting in his way... he was fine.

until he actually realised we were decorating the tree!!!

he then meltdowned...i realised that as i was so busy keeping alex occupied (stopping him snapping the bulbs out of the lights set) etc.... that i'd actually 'forgot' to 'formaly and specifically' tell leigh we were doing the tree...and therefore wrongly assumed that cos he was sat there...next to the tree...that he was happier playing his gameboy....

no...he said that i hadn't asked him...which again is how LITERAL he can be.

so i removed some tinsel...so he could put it on...he loves to touch it.... then he did gradually cheer up and put some baulbles on.

then we fiddled with the lights....they have 7 settings...different speeds of flashing etc...the music function (thankfully!) is broken!!!!

all was ok...till alex turned off the main lights so we could 'admire' our tree.... leigh then got stressed as the flasing tree lights were annoying him.

so set the tree lights to static (for now...) will try them 'twinkling' again in the morning...and see if he is ok tomorrow.... but accepting him how he is ... i know that at firework time...it's the flashing colours that he hates ...as much as he hates the noise... and even at home he hates it if somone turns a light off then back on quickly... so thsi is something that niggles him .... and again i have to find a way of compromising so that he is happy...but also so that the others enjoy the tree too!

then to cap it off...the last thing that tom said before bed....was that i must remember to switch off the tree lights...he worries about fire etc....he has irrational thoughts ... so i promised him that 2morrow we will fit a timer so they switch on at 8am and switch off at 10pm.

...i have wrapped nothing.... i have sent 1 card today....to coppertop.... i have bought no special foods... (feel this year it has really hit me how 'different' our christmas's are...as that special day has to be JUST LIKE EVERY OTHER DAY to my sons... as they do not enjoy 'food treats' they just like to eat their usual foods... and they hate the 'suprise' presents...they struggle with the 'recieving gifts' they don't like/already have...they hate the 'suprise ' visitors.... and school is a nightmare as they hate the dissruption to the normal school work...due to nativities etc... they'd rather do the normal lessons...whereas 'most' kids would be thrilled to get out of maths etc...no my boys!!!

one 'slight' improvement... is that tom now 12 confessed to me the other day that he knows there's no santa...therefor he clicked that 'someone else' has to buy the presents... so he's actually looking through the argos book...picking things to buy...but ofcourse... he has no idea of our likes or dislikes.... and when i try to help him he gets very stroppy.
It's funny as he never really seemed to 'get' the santa concept... and i actually felt a ripple of excitement the other day when he said that cos he was old enough to know there was no santa...then he'd be able to stay up on christmas eve to help me wrap presents!!!! HE HAS NEVER said THAT b4... so i have bought him some pritt gluetape pens... as he cannot manage selotape... so all he has to do is roll the dispenser along the paper and it leaves a tacky strip... so we shall see if he does try.

My ds is getting a little excited as Xmas is approaching, he asks me several times a day as to how many days are left till xmas (he's becoming a bit obsessed with time, dates etc). But he has found it all a bit overwhelming this past week or two, what with school parties, nativity play and even with finding xmas cards in the school bag, he found it all a bit stressful, I'm sure he'll be much more relaxed when things go back to normality. Bless him, he even cried at the thought of the school xmas party. As he has no inclination to even peek at his xmas presents, I've been able to leave them all wrapped under the xmas tree knowing that he won't even attempt to guess what it might be. I don't think I could be trusted with that temptation though, so dp only brings mine out on Xmas eve

I can't wait

Sam had a bad day today (2 parties!!! so hardly surprising) but the improvement of late has been amazing. Good old BIBIC- I think it's the fact we don't feel alone that has made the biggest difference. Anyway, normally I dread the hols but on Friday I was there to pick them up all excited that I'll have them home. How great is that?

Mind you, ask me in a fortnight .

I have learned how to prepare Sam for activities and such like, so I think it will help. We are also at Mum's Christmas, and they accept him the way he is, instead or ging all disappointed on him like MIL. We have to see her Boxing Day (boo) but we will go if she gets grotty. FIL (whom I LOVE) and fiancee coming here for the first time day after.

May all go tits up yet, but am optimistic.

Sorry to barge in here but what does stim(ming) mean?

Am relieved all school xmas activities are over, ie party where ds is only child that doesn't join in class dance/song & then whilst all parents & kids are in hall eating & drinking, ds wanted to watch Spiderman video(latest obsession)alone in his classroom. Will be having a quiet xmas day at home with ds eating usual favourite food, but at least this year he understood making a xmas list & is excited about getting stuff on list

christmas with my three is fun, my girls are kinda excited, they went to see santa with their school abbey threw the pressie back at santa, cos it wasn't the dolls house she was hoping it would be ! bethan shook her small pressie and asked santa hopefully, is it a dolls pram! my son is not happy and has written a letter to santa telling him that he doesn't want any pressies that santa must stay at the north pole and stay with the elfs, and as a PS he's put that santas riendeers stink!, not looking forward to him getting any pressies, roll on new year.

My ds doesn't really worry about changes in routine or anything like that. He's not upset by Christmas, just a bit bemused. He seems to be enjoying the lights, satsumas and chocolates from the advent calendar! Just for once we've managed to get him a present we know he will enjoy as he's been obsessed with his sister's gameboy since the summer and we have got him his own. Normally we haven't a clue what to get though. As for Christmas day itself, it's just lucky that his favourite foods are roast potatoes and parsnips!

...as usual i am already packing away decorations that i am sick of findinf all over the floor instead of where they were placed....i have a gorgeous nativity set....and i have had enough of it being thrown.

MrsF! I got the parcel yesterday. I e-mailed you but as my e-mail account is so temperamental I'm never sure if it's working or not.

This year I ventured out to the Christmas pantomime with ds1 and ds2. I half-expected ds2 to find it hard but he had a wonderful time - although he managed to get a few laughs of his own with his loud comments about what was happening onstage. Ds1 was a bit overwhelmed but generally seemed happy. He wasn't keen on the noise of the music but both boys were in stim-heaven with all the lights and special effects.

Ds1 is due to see a different panto with his class next week so I'm hoping that he'll be okay there too.