DO men do anything at Xmas or is it just the ladies??

Old_Joe

Did someone call?

Although we're retired now, missus being a nurse only ever had two Christmases off so it's always been natural for me to cook the Christmas lunch/dinner for up to eight of us, including preparation of the goose stuffing, weeks before.
While we don't bother with pudding, we usually have the full whack of Goose, part chime of Pork, Pigs in blankets, roast potatoes, - few carrots for colour -
Sprouts/Celariac/frozen Runner Beans grown from garden, small Yorkshire pudding/ thick rich gravy.

As we rarely feel like eating tea we have an evening meal of cold meats/cheeses/pickles/warm garlic bread etc.
So a few weeks before I cook a 4kg Turkey. When cooled I carve the meat - (non sliceable pieces are kept separate for towards making gobble 'n' grunt pies to have after Christmas)
The sliced meat is wrapped in foil and placed in empty icecream containers and frozen in readiness the evening spread. The same goes about cooking a piece of Ham and freezing until Christams Day.

There are possibly some other things I might do but can't think of at the moment.
One confession: I'm excused washingup.:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

nearlyrich

My OH hates shopping for Christmas presents but bless him he does it with me without moaning, I have let him off most of it this year as DD and I have been on two Trafford Centre Raids when he has been away on business recently.

He has offered to go and do the supermarket shop on the weekend before Christmas if I make a list of what we need but I quite enjoy that last trip round Tesco's and the market so I will just go with him, he can carry the bags.

On Christmas morning he will get up, light the oven and make me a cuppa before I start cooking the turkey and he will prep the rest of the veg.

He will get the tables set up and keep everyone supplied with drinks etc, he will also do the washing up without prompting.

We are not bothering with a tree this year but he usually goes to pick it up with me, gets the decs down from the loft, sorts out the lights etc

He will help with the cleaning etc, we are not doing a full scale spring clean here we only just decorated a couple of months ago so a whizz over with the vac and a flick of a microfibre cloth works wonders.

emilyt

My DH like many others does nothing at christmas. Now my 2 DD's are older they even go and buy my pressie from him and end up wrapping it up.
Makes me laugh after his christmas dinner he tells me how tired he is.All he has to do is eat it. I even end up washing up.

*zippy*

I think my hubbie still believes santa brings it all

Counting_Pennies_2

DH finds the codes on this and other websites for money off the pressies, although it is for the benefit of him too as he then goes and buys a load of stuff for himself at the same time.

Apart from that I not only deal with a toddler and the chaos that brings, but I try to fit in the time to work part-time, keep a house in semi decent order (downstairs at least!) and cooked every meal the family eats.

He had the cheek to criticise me yesterday on what I spend my time doing, I could have screamed. I have thought up and bought all pressies for 35 friends and relatives trying to come in under a tight budget. Written 80+ christmas cards, hand delivered local ones with a toddler playing postman pat spending minutes at each door.

I am in the process of now wrapping all pressies.

Meanwhile life for him goes on as usual, and without any clear understanding of the extra time I am putting in to get Christmas rolled out on time and in budget. He seriously believes it is something that is enjoyable, something that is a treat for me!!!

Well done chaps who are doing things towards Christmas, for the others out there, if Christmas isn't your forte I am sure other women out there would agree that we would just love you to do a little more about the place to take some of the strain, and criticising during this time isn't welcome!

TheFlyingGerbil

I think most men would be happy to do things, they just don't like to think too much - they need to be wound up like a clockwork toy and set off in the right direction! I honestly don't think most men realise the amount of work that goes into making everything fabulous at Christmas.

Being a son, rather than a partner I cant do things like buy presents, but I go shopping with my mum and help her decide - my dad just agrees with everything, including contradicting himself:

Mum and me: I wonder if X would like this?
Dad: That's great they'd love it.
Mum and me: hmmm, I'm not sure...
Dad: Yeah, that's totally awful, they'd hate it.

I also go food shopping. We all put up the decorations - Dad faffs, I do the trees - since they need thinking about not just throwing the contents of the decoration box at it and seeing what sticks. Mum helps with the trees and makes sure there is a spread of stuff around the whole house.

On Christmas Eve last year (I was working that day) I made HM pizza - including bases! On the big day, Dad prepares the veg, but Mum cooks it all. Dad gets in the way after that so we keep him out and I stay with mum and offer moral support/a helping hand mashing and putting things in serving dishes etc. My Dad and brother clear the table but somehow it is too much for them to put it in the dishwasher! so I do that and wash the pots etc by hand

On New Year's Day I cook the entire meal myself (duck last year with all the trimmings) and clear away. That's the day mum gets to relax as xmas day is busy for her.

So I'm a man who does as much as he can, and I think more men would if they had the first clue what to do!

Joe

hibees1875_2

i look after the little one while the wifey goes shopping for pressies. Then at xmas i burp, fart, eat and drink... then i have a good sleep. It's hard work being a man ya know.

Knelley

TheFlyingGerbil wrote:

I think most men would be happy to do things, they just don't like to think too much - they need to be wound up like a clockwork toy and set off in the right direction!
Joe

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: that is so true!!!!

hilstep2000

Mine does my pressie and stocking, puts the lights on the tree, and prepares the Gammon (cos he likes sticking all those cloves in!), but that's about all! Still I like doing it myself, although this year my MS has been playing up, so he'll have to help out a bit more!

Ems*Honie

Mine tags along, but mainly moans at the cost. Really winds me up, especially as he has a far larger family than me so most of the cost is on his side.

Will come back and edit this in a while,, more time