This will be our first year as a family of four and in our own house. I don’t know why, but I feel like a more legit grown up this year (perhaps it’s because I’m now well and truly into my 30’s). And I’ve become acutely aware of the fact that Ethan is about to turn 5… FIVE. Which means we’ve got, at very best, a handful of years of Christmas magic left. And this makes me wonder if I’m giving him enough happy Christmas memories.

I have tons from my own childhood, and as my Dad often says, so much about being a parent is creating memories for your children. I feel like the best way to instill these happy feels and cosy memories, especially around this time of year, is to create homely family traditions.

When I was a lass, our Christmas traditions went something like this:

Christmas Eve:
Being awkwardly filmed by my Dad whilst we hang our stockings on our bedroom doors and leave goodies for Santa. Try to go to sleep while listening to various neighbours dropping by to share festive drinks with my folks.
Christmas (Early) Morning:
Reaching around our bedroom doors to feel if Santa had been and filled our stockings. Excitedly racing into our (exhausted) parents room to open them. Dad going downstairs to ‘check if Santa had been’ and pointing the video camera at the door to film our reactions as we walked into the living room.
Christmas Morning Morning:
Opening gifts, Bucks Fizz for the grown-ups and bacon sandwiches all round. Christmas music and phone calls to loved ones.
Christmas Day:
Going to Mass donning our new Christmas clothes, visiting grandparents, eating all the selection boxes. Dinner, of course. Then food coma. Much toy playing in between all of this.

This year, Ethan is already a ball of excitement and fun, so I’d love to boost the memory making as much as possible. I’ve seen that Christmas Eve boxes have turned into a proper ‘thing’. I’m considering one of those, with Pjs, hot chocolate ingredients, popcorn and homemade fake movie tickets for a film we can watch together (we don’t have a DVD player, so will likely rent something through Amazon Prime).

On Christmas Day, we don’t have any visiting to do, so I’m swaying between letting them hang out in their Christmas PJs all day or getting them nice comfy clothes for lounging and playing. We’re having a fake Christmas dinner with Gavin’s folks before the big day and one after with my parents. So Christmas Day itself will be blissfully free.

The opening of stockings in our bed in the morning and bacon sandwiches for breakfast will be traditions carried on. And I’m thinking that we should maybe all go for a nice countryside walk around our way at lunchtime on Christmas Day. I suppose there doesn’t need to be bells and whistles for the boys to grow up with happy memories from this time of year. Just a feeling of warmth and love.

How are you making merry with your family this year?
Any inspiring Christmas traditions to share?

Wishing you all a gorgeous, merry and love fuelled Christmas, however you’re celebrating. xo