Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Gratitude thst you together and healthy. Special does not have to be things!

Honestly, what is the point of a post like this? The per ofson was looking for craft or baking or game ideas. And you tell them have gratitude? How does that help?

Or does it just make you feel superior?

You need to be grateful too. Baking means nothing. Maybe if someone you loved had died three weeks ago of covid, you would understand. No, the death of my friend does not make me feel superior. Does your post make you feel superior?

I'm sorry for the death of your friend, but that doesnt make your post any less pretenious.

Next time you're with some kids, and they are bored and looking for something to do, recommend they go be grateful.

I'm sure they'll have a great time

I r toeared my children to be grateful. Too bad you had parents with zero manners and your children will be just like you. FYI, this post was "How to make Christmas special with just us.". There was nothing about baking. Maybe you should also learn to read.

I've always had small Christmases (parents were immigrants so it was just our family of 5) and my siblings are far flung, and my ex was an only child. So at most there were the 4 of us and rarely some grandparents. It's still lots of fun!

We make a game out of opening the presents. Some years I've followed my mom's trick of taping down labels or just not labeling any gifts. Youngest chooses a gift, and only after they choose do they find out who it's for and give it to that person (who then chooses the next mystery gift). Some years I number every gift and we draw numbers from a bowl and have to hunt to find the right gift under the tree.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Gratitude thst you together and healthy. Special does not have to be things!

Honestly, what is the point of a post like this? The person was looking for craft or baking or game ideas. And you tell them have gratitude? How does that help?

Or does it just make you feel superior?

You need to be grateful too. Baking means nothing. Maybe if someone you loved had died three weeks ago of covid, you would understand. No, the death of my friend does not make me feel superior. Does your post make you feel superior?

I'm sorry for the death of your friend, but that doesnt make your post any less pretenious.

Next time you're with some kids, and they are bored and looking for something to do, recommend they go be grateful.

I'm sure they'll have a great time

Maybe not pretentious but def attention-seeking.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Gratitude thst you together and healthy. Special does not have to be things!

Honestly, what is the point of a post like this? The person was looking for craft or baking or game ideas. And you tell them have gratitude? How does that help?

Or does it just make you feel superior?

You need to be grateful too. Baking means nothing. Maybe if someone you loved had died three weeks ago of covid, you would understand. No, the death of my friend does not make me feel superior. Does your post make you feel superior?

I'm sorry for the death of your friend, but that doesnt make your post any less pretenious.

Next time you're with some kids, and they are bored and looking for something to do, recommend they go be grateful.

I'm sure they'll have a great time

Suet PP, I love your idea and I’m going to try this on Christmas Eve AM, so maybe we will have birds by Christmas Day.

OP, get 1 package each: red, white and green balloons (or whatever colors - but I use Christmas colors). After the kids go to bed on Christmas Eve, blow up ALL the balloons and tuck them between the gifts underneath the tree and around the tree, in general. Be sure to turn on the tree lights before the kids see the tree and their gifts in the morning. The lights will reflect off the balloons, creating a much more inviting and full display. Plus, I promise, those kids will play with the blasted balloons for the next 48-hours, non-stop.

So yes, eventually you will hate me for this suggestion but I promise on Christmas Day you will be grateful for it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Gratitude thst you together and healthy. Special does not have to be things!

Honestly, what is the point of a post like this? The person was looking for craft or baking or game ideas. And you tell them have gratitude? How does that help?

Or does it just make you feel superior?

You need to be grateful too. Baking means nothing. Maybe if someone you loved had died three weeks ago of covid, you would understand. No, the death of my friend does not make me feel superior. Does your post make you feel superior?

Anonymous wrote:Gratitude thst you together and healthy. Special does not have to be things!

Honestly, what is the point of a post like this? The person was looking for craft or baking or game ideas. And you tell them have gratitude? How does that help?

Or does it just make you feel superior?

It’s always just been the 4 of us, which is great, because when I was growing up, we were just the 3 of us...

Real aloud "A Christmas Carol".

Gratitude thst you together and healthy. Special does not have to be things!

Making soft pretzels is a lot of fun. My kids are adults now but this was a favorite winter activity. You can make them into different shapes, letters, eyeglasses, whatever.

I personally am grateful for this thread, if only for the idea of putting sprinkles on cinnamon rolls. That might even make my teenager smile.

-- NP who always has Christmas with just our small nuclear family, but who thinks it is entirely reasonable to crowdsource ideas when the year looks so different from normal

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanksgiving was just the four of us- my husband and I had a great time but kids missed seeing relatives and said it felt like any other day. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day will just be us this year as well. Every year we have travelled to family and it’s days on end of cousin time, friends, parties, Santas.... I’m struggling to make it special and create our own traditions. My kinds are 4 and 6. They aren’t into driving around to see lights. They just want to play with other kids

I am so sick of the baby parents who are incapable of explaining to their children that there is a PANDEMIC AND IT KILLS! By all means go see grandma for Christmas a dbtgem
N go to her funeral two weeks later.

Christmas is special by itself.

Yes, I don’t want to pile on, but your children need to be a little more flexible & resilient. Many/most children will be celebrating Christmas without distance relatives this year. Yours will not be the only ones. No need to overdramatize their feelings.

Agreed. There are many kids whose parents are in the armed forces serving in some foreign country. They will not even have one or both of their parents with them. I suggest you teach your kids about their privilege and teach them gratitude.

Jeeez you people are insane! I guess I’ll tell them they’re lucky they have legs and arms and eyesight. They’re super grateful and flexible. Was just trying to come up with some new traditions. I’m sure they won’t even notice but I am just crowdsourcing here. Happy holidays!

I am a NP. That attitude!! It's a hard year for everybody, so yeah, it's not totally unexpected if someone finds this a little entitled.

Also, if your kids aren't even going to notice it and you can't think of ways to make your own traditions, then just chill. Enjoy and do whatever else you'd do normally at home, just make it a bit Christmassy or not. Simplify your life, instead of creating problems where there are non. It's ok to take a year off from the holidays.

Anonymous wrote:We do:
1)a hot chocolate/popcorn/Christmas PJ/ Christmas movie night
2) bake and decorate cookies together
3) go look at Christmas lights/decor
4) build a gingerbread house
5) write letters to Santa
6) crafts

A fun thing we do is make different popcorn "mixes" and see which ones we like best.

Some with dark chocolate. Or butterscotch. Or toffee (my fave). For a movie night

We do:
1)a hot chocolate/popcorn/Christmas PJ/ Christmas movie night
2) bake and decorate cookies together
3) go look at Christmas lights/decor
4) build a gingerbread house
5) write letters to Santa
6) crafts