It's all about the kids.......!

Such sh1te, I hear this every year at Xmas!
It's all about the kids, the magical Christmas feeling....
Blah blah blah

It is not all about the kids.
Materialistic little feckers. Ask any kid what they like about Xmas, its all about getting presents from santy!
Why do people insist on making materialistic beings out of theirchildren?

In my mind, Xmas is so much better when you're grown up, more about family & friends, having fun & giving thanks.
So AHers, is Xmas all about the kids for you?

darkpagandeath

If one is not Christian why would one celebrate the birth of Christ ? Even though it did not happen at this time and was moved to coincide with pagan feasts. Clue is in the Name Christ's mass.

RayM

It's definitely better when you're a kid, or when there are kids around. Or when you use it as an excuse to pretend that you're still a kid for a few days and have petty arguments with a grown-up sibling about the fact that their method of cracker-pulling is that of a cheating bastard.

I love giving my niece and nephews gifts and seeing their pleasure in receiving them. So no, I don't think they're being turned into materialistic feckers by being the focus of a one a year celebration, and yes, it is all about family and mostly the kids for me. I don't know what else it's supposed to be about for kids. Are they supposed to be thankful for something else?

We also still have fun and are grateful for the chance enjoy each others company.

Geoffrey Dalton

I love Christmas.

Collie D

RayM wrote: »

petty arguments with a grown-up sibling about the fact that their method of cracker-pulling is that of a cheating bastard.

There's always one. This year when the brother uses both hands I'll take advantage of it by using my free hand to punch him. Then we'll sort out our differences with a poorly translated joke from the cracker

Junkyard Tom

Stop murdering kids.

The Backwards Man

Yeah, I think it's more fun as a kid, or it should be as I know a lot of kids sren't as lucky as some of us in this thread were.

iguana

bubblypop wrote: »

It is not all about the kids.
Materialistic little feckers. Ask any kid what they like about Xmas, its all about getting presents from santy!
Why do people insist on making materialistic beings out of theirchildren?

Well that's bollocks for one. If it was just about the presents for kids their favourite day of the year would be the 26th of December as that's when they get left alone to play with their haul. Instead most kids are mildly depressed on the 26th as Christmas is over and it will be an entire year before it comes back around. They have more toys than they did two days before when they were bursting with happiness but they feel sad. Kids mightn't be able to articulate exactly what they love about Christmas beyond their excitement about the promised presents but their actions show that they fully understand that it's the shared festivity that makes the day so special.

One eyed Jack

bubblypop wrote: »

Such sh1te, I hear this every year at Xmas!
It's all about the kids, the magical Christmas feeling....
Blah blah blah

It is not all about the kids.
Materialistic little feckers. Ask any kid what they like about Xmas, its all about getting presents from santy!
Why do people insist on making materialistic beings out of theirchildren?

In my mind, Xmas is so much better when you're grown up, more about family & friends, having fun & giving thanks.
So AHers, is Xmas all about the kids for you?

Christmas can be about children having fun and giving thanks too. I've said before I'm not Christmas' biggest fan, because I find it all a bit overwhelming, but I love buying presents for my relatives and friends children. It's something my neighbour used do for all the children in the neighborhood when I was a child, so I do it now.

I don't think it makes them materialistic at all, tbh I never thought of it like that.

RayM

Collie D wrote: »

There's always one. This year when the brother uses both hands I'll take advantage of it by using my free hand to punch him. Then we'll sort out our differences with a poorly translated joke from the cracker

Every year, at the dinner table, I pretend to read a joke from a cracker, but tell a really crude one instead. And then I sit there with a confused, deadpan expression on my face, pretending I didn't get it. It's the nearest I have to a party piece.

Witchie

It's not so much about the materialism as the magic of it all in my opinion. Even if it is only a few small gifts, its the santa factor and the general air of excitement that make it amazing. That's why its better with kids but that said, I still love it!

cripesonfriday

It's not about being materialistic for kids, not unless they learn it from adults.
My eldest's letter to Santa asked for a doll and for "a nice Christmas". She's had bugs and viruses for the last four or five, she just wants to be well on the day.

Materialism is in the adults, we buy too much food , too many sweets, far too much booze and we indulge far too much. Kids learn from that.

I've never enjoyed Christmas as an adult, not really, but Christmas as a parent, Christmas morning as a parent, that's the stuff right there. Joy in their faces when they realise HE has been, delight when they get what they asked for, the unexplainable emotion when they get an extra little something, something they saw in a shop window in September, that right there, for me, is Christmas.

iguana

iguana wrote: »

Well that's bollocks for one. If it was just about the presents for kids their favourite day of the year would be the 26th of December as that's when they get left alone to play with their haul. Instead most kids are mildly depressed on the 26th as Christmas is over and it will be an entire year before it comes back around. They have more toys than they did two days before when they were bursting with happiness but they feel sad. Kids mightn't be able to articulate exactly what they love about Christmas beyond their excitement about the promised presents but their actions show that they fully understand that it's the shared festivity that makes the day so special.

Bollocks! Kids just love getting the presents on Xmas morning. They're depressed the next day because its as whole year till the next haul!!

I love Xmas, its my favourite time of year, but not because I get presents.

DivingDuck

I'm old as dirt and Christmas is still about the presents for me.

Mind you, it's more about giving for me these days than getting, but it's still all about material things. Giving somebody something they really love and knowing you've made their day is the best feeling ever.

cripesonfriday

cripesonfriday wrote: »

It's not about being materialistic for kids, not unless they learn it from adults.

Exactly my point!
Adults make kids into materialistic little people.

Christmas is a lot more special than santy coming with presents

RayM

RayM wrote: »

Every year, at the dinner table, I pretend to read a joke from a cracker, but tell a really crude one instead. And then I sit there with a confused, deadpan expression on my face, pretending I didn't get it. It's the nearest I have to a party piece.

My Dad does this. He tells the filthiest joke he can come up with, and my Granny always claims the cracker people are losing the run of themselves with their mucky jokes, but she knows damn well who's really behind it!

Azalea

So what if it's hugely about children getting presents off Santa? Ffs, people who moan about children enjoying toys must not have much to moan about. I enjoyed the Santa era massively - still didn't make me super materialistic though.

Children can - and do - appreciate the other aspects of Christmas as they get older.

Azalea

Azalea wrote: »

Children can - and do - appreciate the other aspects of Christmas as they get older.

Exactly.
It's not all about the kids!

Cee-Jay-Cee

bubblypop wrote: »

Such sh1te, I hear this every year at Xmas!
It's all about the kids, the magical Christmas feeling....
Blah blah blah

It is not all about the kids.
Materialistic little feckers. Ask any kid what they like about Xmas, its all about getting presents from santy!
Why do people insist on making materialistic beings out of theirchildren?

In my mind, Xmas is so much better when you're grown up, more about family & friends, having fun & giving thanks.
So AHers, is Xmas all about the kids for you?

Santy? What age are you, 8??? It's fcuking SANTA!

Most adults enjoy seeing children opening their presents and being excited about the whole Santa subterfuge. You'd have to be made of stone to resent kids being at the centre of it all. I've literally never encountered an adult who thought it should be focused on them when there are kids in the family.

RayM

Candie wrote: »

My Dad does this. He tells the filthiest joke he can come up with, and my Granny always claims the cracker people are losing the run of themselves with their mucky jokes, but she knows damn well who's really behind it!

I've done it for so many years that nobody bothers trying to prove it's not the actual joke any more. This year, I might actually print a load of filthy jokes and replace the ones in the crackers.

Jaysus!
Does nobody actually enjoy Christmas without kids around?
I looove Christmas.
But I refuse to believe ' its all about the kids'
It's about so much more

bubblypop

bubblypop wrote: »

Jaysus!
Does nobody actually enjoy Christmas without kids around?
I looove Christmas.
But I refuse to believe ' its all about the kids'
It's about so much more

Of course adults can enjoy Christmas without kids.

When kids are around, it should focus on them though, imo. It's a kid-centric holiday and it'd be a mean spirited adult who begrudged them being at the centre of a little bit of Santa magic once a year.

One eyed Jack

bubblypop wrote: »

Jaysus!
Does nobody actually enjoy Christmas without kids around?
I looove Christmas.
But I refuse to believe ' its all about the kids'
It's about so much more

Of course plenty of people who don't have children enjoy Christmas, it doesn't have to be exclusively about children, there's plenty for adults too, but a lot of the adult stuff I find overwhelming, I can only take adults in small doses, but I know what it means to other adults to do the whole family get-together thing and exchanging presents, dinner, drinks, sing-songs, stories, and because it's only once a year, I'll make the effort when I'd much rather be left alone from mid-November to mid-January by the time it all blows over

XplaygirlX

Ive always loved Christmas. But this one is going to be especially hard for me and me dad, since it's the first one without my mam. But I know my 4 y/o son will keep my spirits up

Happy holidays..

XplaygirlX

XplaygirlX wrote: »

Ive always loved Christmas. But this one is going to be especially hard for me and me dad, since it's the first one without my mam. But I know my 4 y/o son will keep my spirits up

Happy holidays..

I hope it's as happy as it can be for the three of you. I'm sure the little fella will make it special.

melissak

RayM wrote: »

Every year, at the dinner table, I pretend to read a joke from a cracker, but tell a really crude one instead. And then I sit there with a confused, deadpan expression on my face, pretending I didn't get it. It's the nearest I have to a party piece.

If I was less of a chicken I would totally do this. Brilliant..

imitation

If it wasnt for christmas we'd spend December sitting inside, watching it get dark at 15:00 (if it every actually got bright in the first place) and wondering when will march come

Pherekydes

darkpagandeath wrote: »

If one is not Christian why would one celebrate the birth of Christ ? Even though it did not happen at this time and was moved to coincide with pagan feasts. Clue is in the Name Christ's mass.

Do you spend Sunday worshiping the sun?

PressRun

From my own memories and from having young nieces and nephews, I've always kinda thought that kids enjoyed the magic and excitement of Christmas more than anything. The build-up to Santa Claus arriving always seemed more fun than actually having the presents, what with not being able to sleep on Christmas eve, hoping to hear reindeer hooves on the roof, putting up the Christmas tree, watching Christmas films, etc. There's an innocence to Christmastime as a child that is lost as you get older. I still enjoy Christmas, but in a really different way and there's definitely a bittersweet, nostalgic feeling about it now. I think realizing Santa Claus isn't real was one of the saddest times ever, not because there would be no more presents, but because it meant the sense of wonderment around Christmas was gone.

cowboyBuilder

RayM wrote: »

Every year, at the dinner table, I pretend to read a joke from a cracker, but tell a really crude one instead. And then I sit there with a confused, deadpan expression on my face, pretending I didn't get it. It's the nearest I have to a party piece.

Thank you !!!

I know what I'll be doing when the crackers are pulled this year

jimgoose

No, it is most certainly not "all about the kids". And most of the people I hear going on with this sort of shíte are shrivelled-up Sphincter Police types who couldn't wait to have kids so they could abandon all pretence of enjoying life and get on with the Terribly Important business of being some sort of cow for the benefit of lippy teenagers.

"The kids" are an important part of it, but so are the adults. It's a pleasant week where you can turn reality off for a while and enjoy some serious arsing around time - shopping, eating, boozing, visiting, fighting with endless strings of lights, watching entertaining rubbish on TV, whatever you want! And you have to be over forty before you can really appreciate that and give it the boot as she should be goodly spoke. :pac::pac::pac:

Neyite

Our family have always been a bit restrained with presents for kids. Usually they get one Santa present, one parent present, a stocking and the grannies will normally give them a toy of some sort.

It's the activities will make Christmas memorable for our little one. Our son going to pick the tree with his dad, and will be helping me decorate it. I plan on making a gingerbread house or train for us to decorate together, we might make mince pies too, or decorate the Christmas cake together. Hours of playing with daddy. Long walks in the woods and going puddlin'. Christmas movies cuddled up with popcorn. Trifle and chocolate for breakfast. All those sort of memories, not just the thrill of Santa and presents.

ChippingSodbury

Of course it's not all about the kids, it's about the ad's too. The Barry's Tea ad gets me every time!