Has anyone had any Where are you spending Christmas arguments yet?

jackomdj

When we lived in Cornwall we lived in a big house near my family & we used to have my parents, my sister & her OH & their children visit for the day & OH's Mum & Stepdad stay for a couple of nights.

Now we have moved & have less space & have our own family we have my parents one year (they go to my Sisters the next) & invite OH's the next (but they never come!) so this year we have my Mum & Dad coming to visit.

We do try to fit visits to friends & OH's Grandad in the weeks before Xmas and we have invited some friends over for New Year.

fififoofoo

After spending the first few years going backwards and forwards to each others parents houses we decided that it was time to start making our own traditions in our own house. So we told both sets of parents and although not totally happy they understood. Spending Christmas eve at one parents house, packing up after lunch, then moving to the next, then back the next day was not fun for us. We couldn't have a drink and relax. Christmas in our own house is fun, we can be as noisy and messy as we like - then visit everyone inbetween Christmas and New year.:o

GarryJ68

red_devil wrote: »

Have the arrangements for where you spend it and with whom started yet? Any fallouts?

We're ok we know exactly what we are doing and who will be there and its been that way for some time now?

Is it a nightmare trying to please your family at Christmas?

Not allowed to spend Christmas anywhere but my mothers - its the Law of something...

mintymoneysaver

Thankfully we're not too complicated. We go to my mum's as she only lives 5 minutes away so the kids and toys have always been transportable! Joining us will be OH's mum and dad who have come for the last 5 years or so. They always used to go to their daughters in Sheffield but can't travel that far any more. My sister has, for the last few years come for lunch and then gone to her in laws for tea, but she's doing it the other way round this year so she'll be at my mum's for tea and will be staying the night which I think will actually be nicer than her having to dash off after lunch. Sometimes having a small family pays dividends!

This has made me think though...I've only got a few years before I become the mother who the daughters will argue over.....

tori.k

Im going on holiday:j b*gger she just remembered its to Butlins :rolleyes: should have gone to my mothers instead :eek:

poppycracker

Woo, what a lot of family pressure there is in this thread!

I've spent the last four Christmases away from my family, three with my ex and last Christmas with my DH. I make three LONG phone calls on Christmas Day and pester DH til he rings his dad, and thats it. My parents live at opposite ends of the country anyways and have never put any pressure on me to go to either of them. DH doesn't get on that well with his dad and step-mum either so they dont expect him over, they're just grateful to get a card!

Hopefully, we'll be going over to my best friends house, if she hasn't got family down or another jealous bf (last one spoilt last year's plans the swine!). She's got four kids so it'll be more Christmassy and she's better at cooking than me! If that comes unstuck again, it'll be us and the cats, a chicken (hate turkey) and a bottle of vodka :rotfl:.

Triggles

We have Christmas at our house. It's just easier and more logical as we have 2 little ones to entertain and keep out of mischief. DH's family all live nearby and know that they are welcome to pop in anytime. DS1's family has an open invitation to come stay with us at Christmas, but no pressure either way. Generally they do come spend time with us at Christmas, but we would understand if they wanted to spend the time at home with their son. We would just make other arrangments to get together around the holidays. It's just not worth stressing out over, IMO.

ailuro2

No arguments here - we're off to Orlando for Christmas.:D

We went to Malaga last year with DD who was 10yo then.

As long as we have the money I can see us being away in theChristmas holidays for a good few years to come.

Since I have been with my OH we have always had Christmas day for us, then gone with the flow on Boxing Day - I simply refuse to get caught up in the huge pressure to have a wonderful day just because it's Christmas day!

Overstuff a house, add a couple of people stuck in the kitchen diong all the work, add a case or two of beer or sherry to the rest of the house, plus a few kids to borrow brand new toys and have an accident with them.Don't forget to have re-runs blaring on the screen in the corner. Wait till they're all drunk and starving then feed them a week's worth of food in one sitting. Clear up after them.

We don't do it to ourselves the rest of the year, why would we choose to do it to celebrate the birth of Jesus? Especially when most people aren't believers anyway!

I'll send a postcard!

While you might think I'm a cynic we have had some wonderful Christmasses, just the three of us, doing whatever we like, going up for a nap if we fancy it. Have a really nice relaxing day playing games with DD, our out with her on roller skates/bike whatever Santa had brought her. Ham that can cook itself in an hour, add some fresh made by Tesco mash and some ready to roast potatoes, so it's all done in the same oven, in an hour.;) Wonderful!

I think what causes most arguments is the phrase "but we always..." and "xxxx will expect us to be there"

Stephb1986_2

We have always wanted to go away for christmas but with my brother he has a daughter he gets to see every so often and christmas is one of these times so we can't really go away and with my OH and his nieces and nephew and dad too he wouldn't come either.

So this year we're going away just before christmas I'm off to New York and my mum is off to Thailand. But we have to be prepared for christmas when we get back, we will be working straight away

Steph xx

alm71

This Christmas will be hard for me. I've just qualified as a nurse and will be working this christmas I've got 3 daughters and although they understand, are quite upset that I'm working. Not sure whether to have our Christmas day on Christmas Eve or Boxing day instead. Does anybody else do this and does it feel the same?