Just me and DS on Christmas day, ideas please

iammumtoone

I have just found out that it will be just me and DS (6 year old) here on Christmas day, normally we go to my Dads but he has just told me he will be away. It doesn't bother me, but I feel for DS, Christmas day should be spent with other people not just us two like every other day of the year.

Any ideas how I can make the day special/memorable for him? I did think about going out for a meal as at least we would be around other people but I don't think I could afford it and they will probably be all booked up by now.

I am hoping to be able to prepare the dinner the night before so I can spend most of the time with him on Christmas day, I just feel so sad for him, just us two up the table to pull the crackers

GobbledyGook

Ask him what he wants for Christmas.

One of my best Christmas memories is when I was 17. It was just me and my Grandparents. We went to midnight mass (not religious, but Nana loved carols which they sang after).

We stayed up super late, opened a couple of presents. Then we slept late, had scrambled egg rolls for brekkie and then opened the rest of the presents.

We went to the zoo for a couple of hours. Then for dinner we skipped soup and had goose instead of turkey. The traditional sides of parsnips and roasties were joined by roasted onions. We didn't bother with puddings, we just had sandwiches later on.

I got to pick pretty much everything and the memory of playing trivial pursuit, in our jammies whilst eating sandwiches in the evening is one of the best I have. It was the most relaxing Christmas Day ever.

It was special because it was the day I really wanted, even if it wasn't traditional.

Dunroamin

Is there some charity for the homeless that you could volunteer for or an old people's home where people who don't get any visitors would welcome you?

Caroline_a

Please don't feel sad, this is a great opportunity for you to start laying down your own Christmas traditions. TV adverts have a lot to answer for, with hoards of people all seemingly having a wonderful time over a massively overstuffed turkey. In reality that normally means arguments, kids scrapping, people having too much/too little to drink, and the cook getting frazzled!

Just do what comes naturally. Late breakfast, maybe something special, open presents, play with toys, watch the usual rubbish on tv, and eat whatever you want to!! Turkey is not compulsary! If you want fish and chips, have fish and chips! I hate what Christmas has become - a compulsive ratrun galloping to something that in reality rarely exists!

shell_girl

Please don't feel sad for him, you are the most important person in his whole world and he gets to have you all to himself for a whole Christmas day.

Have a chat with him, ask him what he thinks would make the day the best day ever. Throw the rules out - he might say he would rather sausage and chips instead of sprouts, or that he'd like to watch films all day in his pjs. At 6 he's probably got some ideas of his own that could be easily done, but would seem amazing to him.

Christmas doesn't have to look like an M&S advert to be magical, and by re-inventing the day you might find that you and your son make some new family traditions all of your own.

Have a wonderful Christmas :-)

paulineb_2

Why is it sad? My mum brought me up on her own, you have one another. Its a day the same as any other day of the year. I go to my mums most years now, I see my brother as well but he does his own thing on christmas day, so its just the two of us, its totally fine. Christmas doesnt need to be about fuss and hundreds of people to have a good time, in fact I bet you have a less stressful time than some people who are having to cook for lots of relatives.

I have a tiny family, my mum, me and my brother and that is it. Its not sad not to be surrounded by loads of people on Christmas Day. Even when my brother and I were younger, it was us, my mum and my gran and that was it

Some people have huge families, others dont. Its what you make of it and how you approach it that matters.

paulineb_2

I dont have a turkey dinner either, I dont eat meat, I usually have a curry. Its just another day as far as Im concerned, apart from the fact you swap presents with your family. Im actually glad to see it over and done with most years, same with New Year/Hogmanay.

couponqueen123

i would look at it as a blessing you get your son to yourself

xmas eve you and son could do the veg together leave in pans of water this could be fun with music and

you could lay a party out for you to with yr fave snack bits for a tea , then movie bath n story in bed

is there any neibours that are alone this xmas being with u and yr son could brighten both yr xmas and theres
as for xmas day im sure you and yr son will play eat and enjoy just like the rest do ,

think no arguments ,
no who wants what ,
you given me the wrong plate
i dnt want dinner yet etc

starting to sound good to you now just you and son lol

enjoy

p.s i was 18 (few years back ) with a 6 month old baby and my self for xmas , i still did the whole dinner and pudding and presants for daughter and me and we had music her toys and then in the evening we watched a dvd i got her and then she went to bed and i run a bath with my new bubble bath i treated my self to and it was bliss and we went my parents for boxing day

meritaten

make your own traditions! whether its Pizza for Breakfast or Xmas dinner - this is the one day in the year you can make special by planning it together!
first though - find out what is going on in your locality - whether its a special Christmas service at church or the local Zoo being open. Libraries are good for this!
or buy something for the two of you to do together - Junior Monopoly?
ask son what HE would want to make his Christmas special.

mountainofdebt

What about breakfast, pressies, going for a walk/cycle ride, coming home hot chocolate to warm you up, dvd and then pizza (or whatever floats your boat as rubbish food) dvd with popcorn etc?

iammumtoone

Thank you everyone, you have all made me feel so much better about it.

It is true that we don't have to have a traditional Christmas, I will ask him want he wants for dinner and if he has any ideas for the day.

I haven't brought him any board games this year but don't see the harm in getting one now so we have something new to play on the day together.