Opening presents at midnight on Christmas Eve

Am I the only one...??? Or does anybody else think this is realistic for a couple of 2 1/2 year olds.

This is what my wonderful MIL has planned. Personally, I think Christmas should be about the children.

Any suggestions from others who have managed this successfully are welcome!

 

Umm... they should be fast asleep dreaming of sugarplums! Christmas IS about the children! No suggestions here though.. mine will be in bed at that time.

 

We open Christmas morning. No way am I keeping even my 5 yr olds up that late. Or trying to wake them at that hour. I'd rather they waited and got their sleep.

Heck, even I don't want to be up at midnight!

 

yikes! Berkley hasn't even ever been up that late. . . no advice frmo me. . . except don't do it! LOL!
We usually let them open one gift on Christmas Eve. . . sort of on topic

 

Why? Once they open the toys they will want to play with them. They'll be crazy with exaustion and excitement. I think it's asking for a disaster.

 

Is this the same MIL that wanted to go to Midnight mass with the babies last year? (someone had that story in FY!)

FORGET IT!!! I wouldn't DREAM of doing that!! OMG!!!

 

Sounds crazy to me. We have worked it with family (both sides) so we have one small thing and one large each day for about 4 days. That is crazy enough for us. Good luck with whatever you end up doing.

 

I would not do it with my 2 yr olds (or at 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7,8,9, or 10) I really think they need the sleep. Christmas will be crazy enough as it is.....Until kids are older they don't understand and really need the structure of routine to get through the holiday craziness. But that is just me!!

KC

 

Thanks Ladies!

I didn't think I was alone. I'm just gonna have to suck it up this year, but after this (and the impending disaster), I won't do it again. Hopefully they'll see that it's unkind to the kids to expect them to stay up that late, because it's what THEY want.

I feel sick (and completely enraged) just thinking about my kids being pushed to beyond their limits, so that MIL, SIL & BIL can make their point with me.

I'm sure I don't have to say it, but the relationships are strained at best, and it's just one more thing for them to try and get under my skin.

My girls are good girls, so we'll see how they do. Maybe they'll show em' up.

Wish me luck!

 

Wow, I think it is unrealistic and frankly kind of weird. Who on earth would expect 2 year olds to stay up. Mine would pass out on the couch before the presents ever got opened. Good luck and sorry you are going through this..

 

If you're really going to do this, I'd at least put them to bed at their regular time and then wake them for the drama so they'll miss less sleep.

 

We always went to midnight mass and then we had to head straight to bed for Santa. My friend's family has been doing this for 2 years, especially last year her 5 y/o niece was wired because of the holiday anyways; but they were up till 3am opening presents. But I wouldn't do this with kids this young. We began our own tradition, my DH and I, of opening our little family presents on Christmas Eve night and doing the family stuff on Christmas Day.

 

Personally, I wouldn't do it. I would explain as nicely as I could the effect it will probably have on the kids, and then offer an alternative, a sane one, like say, oh, opening gifts in the morning?!? It sounds like your ILs are a bit selfish.

 

Growing up we always opened presents at midnight, but that was when I was older. It is totally unrealistic and a bit cruel to make 2.5 year old stay up that late. They are your kids and if you don't want it to happen then it should be your say not your ILs. Your MIL has already raised her kids her way and BIL and SIL are welcome to do what they want with their kids (if they have any). I think you should stick to your guns and not allow it.

 

Mine would fall asleep on the couch, chair, floor, whereever they were at the exact time they "had to go!" Kinda like other "gotta go" situations. But, only after spinning out of controll. they get rather amped when they are really tired. It would not be fun for any one in our family to keep them up until midnight.

Good luck though.

 

I don't think Christmas is exclusively about the children -- however, anyone who thinks 2-year-olds should be opening presents at midnight has a hole in her head. I see you don't really have any choice, but there's my 2 cents!

 

Absolutely no way ! They must be crazy, or uber self centered to think that will be good for the kids. We do midnight, my hubby and 16 yo daughter, but would never do that with kids. We've decided to start our own "family" traditions...this year I can't cook (due in feb) and everyone is clueless about "what to do " ! Maybe someone else could step up ?! I would never....if you really need to go through with this, I am so sorry for you, and especially the kids. Good luck, its them not you..............

 

QUOTE(twopinkpeanuts @ Dec 14 2007, 05:42 PM) [snapback]534602[/snapback]
Am I the only one...??? Or does anybody else think this is realistic for a couple of 2 1/2 year olds.

This is what my wonderful MIL has planned. Personally, I think Christmas should be about the children.

Any suggestions from others who have managed this successfully are welcome!



I can tell you that would not be happening with my children! Just would not. Mine would be asleep in bed. Period. There is no compromising with insanity!!!!

Good luck to you,

Missy

 

What does your husband think? Personally my husband would be the first to tell his family to FO if they were suggesting anything like that; he would think it was totally crazy. So I am just wondering what your husband thinks and if he agrees with you that it's not right for your kids or if he agrees with his family that it's OK? If it were me I would definitely have to decline and tell them we'd head over sometime on Christmas day to open gifts with them.

 

OK, I asked my DH because he's one of these "Go along for the family" kind of people and even he said, "**** NO! If the adults want to do that, fine, but my kids would be in bed and opening their stuff Christmas morning with the normal people." :lol:

 

no way, and then of course they're going to be tired and cranky on christmas day, which doens't make for a fun day for anyone!!


amanda

 

I think it would be ridiculous to try and make kids that young stay up that late to open presents.
However, I can totally see my inlaws expecting that. <_< DH and his family grew up with no set bedtimes, and they do everything very late. They don't understand why my kids go to sleep so early - mind you my 18 month olds go to bed around 8 - 8:30 pm so it's not early at all in my opinion.

My family is different, so I schedule eve holidays with my family and spend the day with the inlaws, that way I have an easier out.


Stick to your guns, they are your babies.

 

I would so put my foot down this year. What are you going to do if they kids are fine?
We had to evacuate our house do to fires a couple months ago at 11:30 at night. I thought that when we were at our ILs house they were going to be a mess. They were fine. They were wired and awake and did not go to bed until 2ish.
That's unless you want to do the midnight thing EVERY year.
Good Luck
Cari

 

My ils used to try this but my eldest would fall asleep by 10. It's just too much for little kids. We changed it to when everyone gets to their house on Christmas Eve. That way, we can leave when the kids are really beat. We change them into pjs before we leave though so if they fall asleep, we can just put them to sleep when we get home.

 

Ummm, My husband and I are planning to do this by ourselves because we want Christmas morning to be all about the kids. However, I couldn't imagine trying to get my almost two year olds to stay up, or waking them up to do it at midnight. Good luck with that!

 

QUOTE(JicJac @ Dec 14 2007, 02:48 PM) [snapback]534610[/snapback]
Umm... they should be fast asleep dreaming of sugarplums! Christmas IS about the children! No suggestions here though.. mine will be in bed at that time.


I agree.

Ther eis no way I would allow my MIL to dictate my children's christmas like that.

We recognise Santa and that would not give him a chance to come first of all. Most importantly christmas or not, they need to be sleeping and so do I. I have children to take of all day long!!!!!!!!!! There is no way I wou ld allow that.

 

I think I'd tell my MIL we were going to pass on this. My kids are in bed normal time on Christmas Eve, but we open presents Christmas morning. Although this year we will be at the IL's house Christmas Eve for dinner and open their gifts and DH's siblings as well, but we will come home around 8Pm and then they will all be in bed. There is no way I would want any of my kids to stay up until midnight!

 

Is it really too late to back out of this? It sounds like a bad idea, for "fun" at midnight & also on Christmas Day. What are your Christmas Day plans? Unless you are staying home & the kids can veg all day, i would also think about how it will impact them the next day too.

 

I bet they will fall asleep (what 2.5 year olds wouldn't.....?) I *would* throw a fit if MIL wanted to wake them up! However, if they are awake I guess I don't see that one really late night would hurt anything. I agree its weird to expect toddlers to stay awake 5 hours (or more) past their bedtime.