re: Check-in if Christmas has become too stressful

The best family gatherings are those that unfold naturally.

If she's stressed out trying to follow a set agenda, everyone will pickup on these stress vibes and have a less enjoyable time.

Get her to realize this and kill 2 birds with 1 stone.

Take some control so she doesn’t feel the pressure as much man

Me and my wife spent the day eating chinese food and drinking on the couch/in bed.... it's the only way to do Christmas really

This thread gives me hope. As a kid, that was our thing. We stayed home for Christmas so me and my brother could enjoy the day. Fast forward and for the last 6 years we’ve plopped my kid(s) in the car and hauled them all over creation for the grandparents. Last year was bad but this year I had enough. There’s nothing like getting mad at your daughter because she’s upset that you’ve told her she can open the doll she got because we have to get ready to go. And then spending all day listening to grandparents complain because we were late because god forbid we give my 1 year old time to open his presents and experience this for the first time.

We’re staying home next year. Period. Hopefully be in a new house. But we’re staying home. And the kids can get up when they want and enjoy opening presents and playing with their stuff and we can cook and watch movies and play games all day. And any family that wants to come over is more than welcome to. But we only get so many years where it’s magical, and I don’t like wasting them sitting in a car for half the day.

Yeah, we put our feet down when our kids were young. Unfair to them to be in the car most of the day driving from place to place. Family was surprisingly receptive to it, and we’ve been hosting Christmas almost every year now for the past 10 years. Makes it so much easier.

I'm in the same boat with travel, although kids aren't involved. I worked on Monday, got up early Tuesday and drove to the in-laws 3 hours away, did that stuff, got up yesterday morning and drove 3.5 hours to my mom's to visit iwth her, then made it back to our house at dinner time before getting up and going to work today. I feel like most everyone I know looks at Thanksgiving and Christmas as a 3-7 day vacation off work to relax and unwind and chill out but its' the exact opposite for me, it's constantly driving from place to place with zero rest. I enjoy family and all that but it's gotten to where now I kinda dont' look forward to the holidays just knowing how busy it will be. I'd love to just stay at home and not do a single damn thing for a couple days.

This year was great. We are visiting my son at his apartment. He's just starting out so basically has nothing. We got him a tv, stand for it and some folding chairs. We cooked steak at appt. public grill, only had 2 plates and a saucer but made it work. Watched Netflix. No stress what so ever.

Good God

Be a man and put her arse in check

Ask Santa for a new set of nuts next year

quote:

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the house has to be completely spotless

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This totally gets me, my wife (no pics) is the same exact way. I told her we needed to buy a second house, she said why. I said so we can live in one and host parties in the other one. She didn't think that was reasonable......