Christmas as a "young mum" - do you miss it?

Good memories of Christmas when the children were small. We always gathered at my parent's house but all helped with preparation. But so tired! I remember one year I was woken at 4am with a toy trumpet ( what a mistake!) announcing the DC arrival into our room . This year we will have 12 for Christmas Day ,still at the old parent house ,but with a frail slightly senile mother 94 down to a very lively 5 year and 6 month old my grandchildren, with slightly grumpy teenagers in between my sister's children ! So still doing Christmas Dinner but with loads of help . Not all hunky dory though , my DH who found Christmas difficult anyway and coped with alcohol, now now longer drinks as a recovered alcoholic, even though I have offered to not drink too he will stay at home - his choice and although it sounds hard I had so many years of coping with his alcoholism , I am going to get on and enjoy Christmas Day .

Watermeadow, how sad and I too am glad you are now in a happier place.
My DH wasn't abusive, just usually absent and having contributed nothing to Christmas other than bringing in the tree with a face of thunder, then went to bed at 10 as usual while I wrapped mountains of presents. When I asked for help I was told I gave the children too many presents and he needed his sleep. There were a lot of presents but half of them were silly little things like a roll of sellotape so they would stop borrowing mine, novelty bath bombs etc. I did the Father Christmas thing in the wee small hours, removing the empty stockings and replacing with full ones and I drank the sherry, ate the mince pie and the reindeer's carrot
Neighbours hosted a Christmas Eve party for a dozen children and parents which was the start of the festivities and my DCs and I loved Christmas and I am happy that they have a load of good memories.
It ceased to be fun for me after the kids grew up and through my 60s I was hosting adults only with nonogenarians and 60 somethings, my youngsters abroad or with in-laws. Now it's fun again with grandchildren - but no stamina and just the preparation of a relatively small meal raises my blood pressure. So yes I miss those early Christmases but not the ex-H who took off with another poor soul many years ago.

Yes I miss the times we had when my children were young. Now however I'm having fun buying presents for my granddaughters. I tell them Santa left them at my house for them. My daughter is cooking Christmas dinner and all I have to do is turn up so maybe it's not so bad after all.

Yes , I wish I had appreciated those years more at the time

Yes I so miss those wonderful times. Me and DH on our own for Christmas Day, we will still have a lovely day, and DD2 will be here on Boxing Day with Sil and grandchildren. DD1 lives in Las Vegas but we will FaceTime with her and open up our presents together. It is not like it used to be but I have wonderful memories of our parents and children on Many Christmas days

i used to miss those christmasses with small [and even not so small] children that i used to have with my son and daughter - having daughter's family here every other christmas wasn't the same as the alternate christmas i would be on my own. then she decided that they wouldn't come to me on christmas day and i had every christmas day on my own - which i didn't mind too much as i could then do whati wanted and get things done without having a rush.
then, two years ago, my daughter and her two daughters moved in with me as there was a family split.
so i'm back to having hectic christmasses again although i have three helpers to give me a hand these days.
this year i'm having mobility problems so things are harder and i'm way, way behind with everything so i'm back to doing the wrapping up in a rush later today after i've sorted various things out in the kitchen with only the help of one grandaughter.
but what doesn't get done will still be waiting for me on boxing day! as long as the presents are wrapped and the turkey's defrosted who cares that the hoover didn't get put around!

We go round Christmas Eve and watch them hanging the stockings up and then get a phone call when they are waking up in the morning usually about 7am !! We only live 2 miles away.?❄️☃️?

In a way I don't miss it. My hubby was a police officer and worked long hours. He was never around at special times. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day it was often just me and the kids. I remember doing the big food shop when my son was two and my daughter five. The queue to pay reached right to the back of the supermarket. It was so stressful. Then hubby would make a comment like "you forgot the fresh parsley" when I came home! Much better now he's retired. He's peeling sprouts now, and we have all the family coming tomorrow. Hubby is part of things now.

Waiting for grandchildren to arrive - wearing my Christmas hat - lights twinkling, santa please stop here sign up, scrubbed headboard (43 years old) as DD commented that it looked a bit grubby!!!

No I don't. Often me and my husband were working and had to fit in Christmas dinner for my parents at our house, it was juggling act.
We were always up early to see our dd open her presents,then one of us went to work and then when they came home, the other went out.one of us was often on call so one of us missed the fresh dinner.
Now both of us are off for the day,so we really enjoy it!

I remember when I was not quite such a young mum (late forties or thereabouts) feeling quite exhausted and sitting on the loo thinking, Will they miss me if I nod off for ten minutes?

Our children were teenagers by then but my younger brother's kids were a hyped-up nightmare.

I know how lucky I am. Our Christmas never stopped. We have always had a houseful, and as a bonus OH cooks the Christmas dinner, with help from my son these days. I used to do the washing up but we have a dishwasher these days. The magic is still alive in our house.

I loved Christmas as DD grew up & now have the pleasure of DGS who's now 6 & next year another addition.

3 years ago I spent my 1st Christmas with DD, her OH & DGS (1st Christmas after DH died) so I drove down on Christmas Eve from Somerset to Devon, woke at 5.30 Christmas morning to hear DGS saying "Nanny are you awake" & my DD trying to "sssh" him!!! I got up & watched him open his stockings. I moved to Devon almost 2 years ago so Christmas is spent with DD, her OH & DGS - drive over in the morning (about 10 miles), arrive mid morning, open our presents & a lovely Christmas Lunch, "kicked out" (DD's words) at 3.00, back home for a relaxed evening although this year I've been invited to neighbour's for Drinks Christmas Day night.

Do I miss Christmas how it was yes & no, do I miss stress NO

Merry Christmas all GNers, hope it's every-thing you wish for.

When my DC were small I can remember staying up until 2am wrapping up presents and then DS1 up at 5am screaming with excitement that Santa has been. Christmas lunch was 12.30pm. Christmas morning certainly started early in those days. Now we get a lie in until 7.30am with Christmas lunch at 2pm. My grandson is still too small to understand Christmas this year but next year we will tell him about Santa and the magic will carry on.....

I remember our eldest son aged three standing at the top of the stairs far to scared to go down and see if Santa had been. Years later he explained that he was scared Santa may still be there. He's 33 with 3 children of his own.

This is obviously the right time to bore you all to death recount (once again) the tale of Father Christmas being discovered slurping whisky at 3am by a scared stiff, six year old DS.

My stepfather was a heavy drinker and smoker so we used to hide the expensive spirits and only leave out the cheap stuff and he'd been banned goodness knows how many times from smoking but it was really a lost cause.

On Christmas morning DS woke up and thought he could hear a noise in the sitting room so he crept down the stairs hoping he was going to catch Santa in the act.

He was frozen to the spot when he spotted the back of a white haired old gentleman in a red dressing gown coat slurping DH's finest single malt!

He crept back up the stairs convinced he'd seen HIM.

It turned out stepfather had hidden his fags in DD2's Wendy House and went downstairs for a crafty smoke. DH had put the 'good stuff' out ready for Christmas Day when we went to bed so the crafty bugger Santa thought he might as well get stuck in

Oh, that's so funny merlot! I haven't heard it before (or if so, I've forgotten!).

Did you ever tell DS the truth?

It soon became family folklore, Ana.

My eldest daughter (38) lives In Melbourne and she dreamed recently of our family tradition of all 4 of them coming in on Xmas morning and taking it in turns to open each pressie while sitting on the bed. Set us all reminiscing. Hard work but so lovely

I too prefer the way we did it back then. It was all part and parcel of it when the children were awake by 5.30/6.o,clock, which gave them a good few hours to play with new toys before Nanna and Granddad arrived for dinner, then after dinner we all went to my Sisters for Tea, everyone joined in the games of hide the thimble and farmers in the den, as well as charades etc. By the time we got home on Christmas day the children were exhausted and we all had a good nights sleep. Boxing day would be buffett tea at Nannas and the games would start all over again. Short break then until New Years Eve where I used to do a hot pot supper for midnight which we all tucked into after the New Year had been let in.
Happy days.

I really miss Christmas that we had when I lived in Africa. The whole family used to get together, 50 odd people together! But because it was summer we had it outside, and the kids all played together. It was more about being together than all the gifts. It was a magical time and my memories have never faded.

When we were all happy and just didn't know it. Our three were very crafty children. When it came to presents, the oldest was adept at getting gift information from the younger ones and the middle child was the expert at opening and closing Christmas wrap without leaving a trace of evidence. For a modest favor or the equivalent in movie money, she became an able informant. Third child was too young but he had no qualms about telling. I decided that the trunk (boot) of my car was the only safe place to hide their (wrapped) presents. It was always locked and I had the keys.

Merry Christmas to everyone here and many blessings in the New Year!

Oh yes I miss it so! I remember my DH standing in his welly boots in a tray of talcum powder so he could leave 'Santa' footsteps from the French doors to the tree as we did'nt have a chimney! A merry Christmas and a peaceful New Yesr to you all

Are other grans amazed to remember the energy we used to have at Christmas? Collecting gifts for months, knitting and sewing in secret, cooking huge quantities, ģetting up at the crack of dawn on Christmas day to make croissants for breakfast (why did I ever make that a tradition!), decorations everywhere, and the early morning shopping expeditions.
Now it's shopping on line, bought mince pies and presents, everything done the easy way, and I'm exhausted

Looking back it all looks so lovely...Christmas Day just the 4 of us, then Boxing Day with 16 more all staying over and oodles of presents, food, games and treasure hunts etc.
Compared to now.....American daughter in law ( and her mother) from hell. Son frazzled with doing everything in the house and looking after small child whom Mum has no idea how to deal with him. Knowing that they will probably send their life in the weird and self obsessed country that is America.
A lesson in appreciating what you have when you have it I guess!