Anonymous
Post 12/07/2019 10:18     Subject: Bed time xmas eve?
Who cares what self-absorbed thirty somethings think? Xmas is about kids. Tell them to have fun going out. You have Santa duty and have to get up early. Whatever.
Anonymous
Post 12/07/2019 09:47     Subject: Bed time xmas eve?
Anonymous wrote:We don’t have an end time for adults. Kids go to bed at 8. Santa arrives around 10, I’m in bed by 11. The rest of the adults can do what they want.


What if a kid wakes up, and Santa has come, but adults are still awake? I couldn’t do this. We immediately got at least to our room after doing Santa for fear of being busted.
Anonymous
Post 12/06/2019 22:17     Subject: Re:Bed time xmas eve?
Anonymous wrote:Hi OP,

yeah, it sounds like your childless friends are clueless. You just have to explain to them that kids have to go to bed on Christmas Eve not go to a bar.

If you guys do the whole Santa thing, you might want to talk to your clueless friends to be sure that they aren't the type of people to screw that up in any way. Like mention, we do the whole Santa thing so the kids need to be home to hang the stockings and leave the cookies. If you friends say anything obnoxious about lying to kids or anything like that, might be a clue to you that you don't want to invite them to your house Christmas eve after all.

Christmas Eve festivities at our house with young kids end at about 8 PM when they go up to bed. Family staying in the house wait up, quietly, maybe have some drinks or snacks, till we are sure the kids are asleep around 10 or 11, and then we put the presents out and fill the stockings.
Nobody is going out to a bar!


Thanks! I think I needed some reassurance to make sure I wasnt being a stickler. I know I need to just remind them that Ive got little ones that need to go to bed and Ive got stuff to do after they are asleep. They can go out or do whatever once they get home if thats what they want to do.
Anonymous
Post 12/06/2019 20:55     Subject: Re:Bed time xmas eve?
Hi OP,

yeah, it sounds like your childless friends are clueless. You just have to explain to them that kids have to go to bed on Christmas Eve not go to a bar.

If you guys do the whole Santa thing, you might want to talk to your clueless friends to be sure that they aren't the type of people to screw that up in any way. Like mention, we do the whole Santa thing so the kids need to be home to hang the stockings and leave the cookies. If you friends say anything obnoxious about lying to kids or anything like that, might be a clue to you that you don't want to invite them to your house Christmas eve after all.

Christmas Eve festivities at our house with young kids end at about 8 PM when they go up to bed. Family staying in the house wait up, quietly, maybe have some drinks or snacks, till we are sure the kids are asleep around 10 or 11, and then we put the presents out and fill the stockings.
Nobody is going out to a bar!
Anonymous
Post 12/06/2019 10:53     Subject: Bed time xmas eve?
I don’t see the issue...obviously your kids aren’t going to a bar, even if your guests are so dumb as to think they can. So you guys do dinner with everyone, then the kids go to bed and the clueless adults do whatever they want.

Not anything for you to decide.
Anonymous
Post 12/05/2019 17:38     Subject: Bed time xmas eve?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Kids can go to bed at 8 and adults can do whatever they want that doesn’t involve waking up the kids. Let them go out. Were you intending to treat the adults you are hosting like kids?


Also when I say the extended family has visions of going out after dinner, they mean all of us.


Your extended family envisions a family with little children going out AFTER dinner? To where? Where on earth would you all go?


Yeah thats whats difficult with them... bc they have no kids, they dont really get it. So I came on here to see what others do Xmas Eve when hosting. Kids are 3 and 6. The extended fam is coming from an hour away and will be here all day.


Okay, but if I was childless and looking for fun after dinner, I don't want a 3 or 6 year old involved. It's not like you can take them to a bar...I'm still totally flummoxed. Unless these childless people are hoping to go look at christmas lights, then okay fine I get that--and you can indulge if it's nearby. But if they truly want to "go out" I feel like you must be misinterpreting. Maybe what they really mean is they want you to get a babysitter so you and your DH can go out with them? That would make more sense here (though, that's a crazy idea as well, but at least more logical.)


Yeah, I don't get this. I am childless and yet I know you don't bring little kids out after dinner nor would I want them. Being childless doesn't make you stupid. Childless people have been around children.


OP here- yeah definitely. I didnt mean to generalize childless people at all. Was just trying to paint the picture of the people I mentioned in my OP. Sometimes since they dont have kids, they just dont relate to certain kids dynamics. But I have plenty of friends who dont have kids who totally do. Was just describing them specifically.
Anonymous
Post 12/05/2019 17:36     Subject: Bed time xmas eve?
Anonymous wrote:We don’t have an end time for adults. Kids go to bed at 8. Santa arrives around 10, I’m in bed by 11. The rest of the adults can do what they want.



Thanks!
Anonymous
Post 12/05/2019 17:35     Subject: Bed time xmas eve?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Kids can go to bed at 8 and adults can do whatever they want that doesn’t involve waking up the kids. Let them go out. Were you intending to treat the adults you are hosting like kids?


Also when I say the extended family has visions of going out after dinner, they mean all of us.


Your extended family envisions a family with little children going out AFTER dinner? To where? Where on earth would you all go?


Yeah thats whats difficult with them... bc they have no kids, they dont really get it. So I came on here to see what others do Xmas Eve when hosting. Kids are 3 and 6. The extended fam is coming from an hour away and will be here all day.


Okay, but if I was childless and looking for fun after dinner, I don't want a 3 or 6 year old involved. It's not like you can take them to a bar...I'm still totally flummoxed. Unless these childless people are hoping to go look at christmas lights, then okay fine I get that--and you can indulge if it's nearby. But if they truly want to "go out" I feel like you must be misinterpreting. Maybe what they really mean is they want you to get a babysitter so you and your DH can go out with them? That would make more sense here (though, that's a crazy idea as well, but at least more logical.)


Yeah, I don't get this. I am childless and yet I know you don't bring little kids out after dinner nor would I want them. Being childless doesn't make you stupid. Childless people have been around children.
Anonymous
Post 12/05/2019 17:29     Subject: Bed time xmas eve?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Kids can go to bed at 8 and adults can do whatever they want that doesn’t involve waking up the kids. Let them go out. Were you intending to treat the adults you are hosting like kids?


Also when I say the extended family has visions of going out after dinner, they mean all of us.


Your extended family envisions a family with little children going out AFTER dinner? To where? Where on earth would you all go?


Yeah thats whats difficult with them... bc they have no kids, they dont really get it. So I came on here to see what others do Xmas Eve when hosting. Kids are 3 and 6. The extended fam is coming from an hour away and will be here all day.


Okay, but if I was childless and looking for fun after dinner, I don't want a 3 or 6 year old involved. It's not like you can take them to a bar...I'm still totally flummoxed. Unless these childless people are hoping to go look at christmas lights, then okay fine I get that--and you can indulge if it's nearby. But if they truly want to "go out" I feel like you must be misinterpreting. Maybe what they really mean is they want you to get a babysitter so you and your DH can go out with them? That would make more sense here (though, that's a crazy idea as well, but at least more logical.)


They wanted to get drinks at a local bar. Theyre mid-late thirties without kids so often have a difficult time seeing through the perspective of an adult with kid responsibilities. Im assuming they will drive home and then go out there if they really want to go out. Who knows.
Anonymous
Post 12/05/2019 17:27     Subject: Bed time xmas eve?
Anonymous wrote:OP, the rest of the family can certainly go out after dinner - partying, clubbing, drinking, dancing, or just driving around and seeing christmas lights.

BUT you will be staying home to put kids to bed AND (1 or 2 hours AFTER kids are in bed so they don't wake up and catch you in the act) to put our Santa gifts. And, yes, BOTH PARENTS (if there are 2) will stay home because it's not fair for ONE to go out and have fun while the other enters into the putting together/battery hell of Santa gifts.

I HOPE they aren't staying with you, and will simply drive home after they go out...but...if they are staying with you:

they may arrive home late but THEY MUST BE QUIET because if they wake the kids they will be hung outside as an effigy and warning to all!




Thanks PP! They are not staying. Weve made Xmas morning off limits.
Anonymous
Post 12/05/2019 17:05     Subject: Bed time xmas eve?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:How old are your kids? My daughters are 9 and 11 and I will make them go to bed by 10. They like to sleep in the same room on Xmas eve, and they do their own little Xmas celebration in there. They set up twinkly lights and open little gifts for each other, and listen for Santa even though they don’t believe. They are asleep by 11pm, and then with extreme anxiety (of being caught) I set out the gifts.


This is so sweet. Did they come up with this on their own?


They did! I think they include their stuffed animals in the celebration and give them gifts too, lol!
Anonymous
Post 12/05/2019 16:54     Subject: Bed time xmas eve?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Kids can go to bed at 8 and adults can do whatever they want that doesn’t involve waking up the kids. Let them go out. Were you intending to treat the adults you are hosting like kids?


Also when I say the extended family has visions of going out after dinner, they mean all of us.


I don’t understand. Do they think your preschoolers are going to go out with the family? Where do they think you’re going to find a babysitter on Christmas Eve?

Anonymous
Post 12/05/2019 16:34     Subject: Re:Bed time xmas eve?
When we host on Xmas Eve we start at 5 and end by 8 given we have young children.
Anonymous
Post 12/05/2019 15:56     Subject: Bed time xmas eve?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Kids can go to bed at 8 and adults can do whatever they want that doesn’t involve waking up the kids. Let them go out. Were you intending to treat the adults you are hosting like kids?


Also when I say the extended family has visions of going out after dinner, they mean all of us.


Your extended family envisions a family with little children going out AFTER dinner? To where? Where on earth would you all go?


Yeah thats whats difficult with them... bc they have no kids, they dont really get it. So I came on here to see what others do Xmas Eve when hosting. Kids are 3 and 6. The extended fam is coming from an hour away and will be here all day.


Okay, but if I was childless and looking for fun after dinner, I don't want a 3 or 6 year old involved. It's not like you can take them to a bar...I'm still totally flummoxed. Unless these childless people are hoping to go look at christmas lights, then okay fine I get that--and you can indulge if it's nearby. But if they truly want to "go out" I feel like you must be misinterpreting. Maybe what they really mean is they want you to get a babysitter so you and your DH can go out with them? That would make more sense here (though, that's a crazy idea as well, but at least more logical.)