The year we began dating. We each went to our own families for Thanksgiving not spending that holiday together, but then celebrated Christmas together alone. We have done various things since then, sometimes just us, sometimes not. Went to Europe one year. Were usually with his family since he was an only child and my parents had plenty of company. Spent 2 years of holidays in a nursing home with his mother. Now that's hard! Making Christmas special for children, hundreds of miles from home, in a nursing home visiting sick Grandma. You do what you have to do.

Prepped my in laws for it while I was pregnant. My kid was going to have xmas at home. Just like I did. AND just like his dad did.

We started when kids were 5 & 7. It's amazing. We visit for Thanksgiving and again right after Christmas.

The year we got married. Had to start right away or we'd be setting a precedent that would cause hard feelings when broken.

We started spending Christmas morning at home when oldest DD was 2. We still usually travel to see family either before or after, but with little kids it's definitely more relaxing to have the holiday at home.

I remember as a kid wishing that we spent more Christmases with family, because my mom was adament about the "Christmas at home" rule but I missed my cousins. Once our kids are a few years older -- out of the Santa age -- we would change our plans if there was a consensus for it.

Anonymous wrote:Stayed home once I had kids.

I want my kids to remember Christmas morning in their family home.

4 hours is a short enough drive that you can leave early afternoon and have Christmas dinner with the extended family and have Christmas morning at your house. That’s what I did growing up.

+1

Put your foot down, OP. Your kids are important now, not his childhood memories of being with his own mommy and daddy.

Stayed home once I had kids.

I want my kids to remember Christmas morning in their family home.

4 hours is a short enough drive that you can leave early afternoon and have Christmas dinner with the extended family and have Christmas morning at your house. That’s what I did growing up.

Anonymous wrote:We still all bunk together at inlaws but it's getting too tight. They only have a 3 bedroom. We have 3 kids and sil has 1. Way too many people for one bathroom. I think next year we will have it at our house for the first time. I know my parents would like to come.

Why on earth would you put up with that? Are they fully funding your kids' colleges? Did they help buy your house?

We still all bunk together at inlaws but it's getting too tight. They only have a 3 bedroom. We have 3 kids and sil has 1. Way too many people for one bathroom. I think next year we will have it at our house for the first time. I know my parents would like to come.

I escaped my smothering mother and jumped across the Atlantic. So while this was not specifically targeted for the Holidays, it works out well for that too. My husband's parents are also 8 hours away by plane, so we're good.

1993

^DD

We don't. Both my DH and I enjoy seeing our families, and our SD enjoys Christmas morning with her cousins.

As soon as we had two kids, we let our parents know that we wanted them to have Christmas memories in our home. It was hard on the Grandparents at first, but they got used to it.

DH insists on spending Christmas with his family which involves a four hour drive with two small children and a carload of stuff. It's exhausting! Last year we talked about having Christmas at home but he conveniently forgot about that conversation. This year, the same thing happened!! I feel like we are our own family now, we should be able to have our own Christmas at home! And by the way, they are coming to our home for Thanksgiving and we see them a lot.

So I'm just curious about when everyone else started having their own family Christmas.