As of tomorrow, my kids are in charge of Christmas!

[RoughCollie]

I am putting my kids in charge of Christmas tomorrow.  I will give them an outline of what I do, and they can choose to do whatever they like (or add new things) to celebrate our family Christmas season.  I am going to suggest they divide the labor to avoid arguments.

 

I am not going to get involved at all, except to give advice when asked. I will not settle arguments or listen to disputes.  I think they are old enough not to come running to me every time a problem pops up.

 

This ought to be interesting.  Since the kids have been teens, they don't do much at all, but they like the results.  The sole reason I am doing this is that I am tired of doing everything by myself.  It has become Work.  They, at least, will have one another to help.  They already know how to do everything, because they happily participated in the preparation for and celebration of Christmas ever since they could walk.

 

I am looking forward to seeing what happens. I am will accept any result, including nothing done at all.  All I know is that I'm not going to do anything myself except buy and make the gifts DH and I are giving. 

 

 

 

 

[Susan C.]

I want to know how it goes!

 

I'm tired too!  I'm threatening one big gift each and going away. But I bet that won't happen!

[Swimtaxi234]

My children have been in charge of setting up the tree and all of the decorations for the past 7 years.  I hang out with them while they decorate, but they have loved having ownership in the tree, etc.  They tell each other stories about the ornaments, etc. like I used to tell them when they were young.

 

Granted, we lost all of our Christmas decorations from when they were young (moving truck caught fire in 2006), so since they were there when we bought everything after the fire, they really do know their stories about specific ornaments and decorations.

[WinsomeCreek]

You are brave.

[RoughCollie]

My kids have been in charge of decorating the tree since they could stand.  Last year, I bought a pre-lit tree.  It stayed in its box until practically the last minute because DS1 kept putting off helping me put it together. 

 

My kids have been helping me make cookies, make decorations, and decorate the house since they could stand.  When the boys became teenagers, they quit doing anything except take, unless I forced them to. 

 

My DD helps, but even she had a few years of bad attitude. 

 

It became tedious and unjoyful to have the entire family show up after everything was done.  I already deal with that with DH.  I don't like doing everything by myself.

 

If the kids actually do something, then before I jump back into the fray, they will have to continue participating.  Otherwise, I'm not jumping back in.

 

What's really great about it is that I have the freedom to do this without feeling guilty.  If my kids ruin their own Christmas, well, it's all on them!

 

I am going to make sure that DD does no more than 25% of the work.  The boys and DH are more than willing for DD to be a mini-me.

[jenamiles]

My husband was just telling me the other day that we have entered the season that I wish would just go away. I LOVE the reason behind Christmas and the desire to spend time with family.  I HATE how that is not the focus of the holidays AT ALL and that I have to slave over the holidays to make them just right for everyone but no one contributes to make it the holiday they want.  If it was up to me, I'd hang a string of lights on the wall in the shape of a tree, make a normal meal, and just call it a day of family time with no special anything at this point.  My husband has helped some this year because he knows how much I loath having to do a big holiday but as the only cook, shopper, planner, cleaner in the house, it still takes a lot out of me on top of my regular duties of mom, teacher, full-time employee.  I would love to go to bed and wake up on January 6th with it all behind me.

[datgh]

My friend got so tired of doing it all because everyone expected it that she put up a palm tree one year with the ornaments on it just to make her point.  They got the message.