Christmas - the stress has already started.

[Globalti]

Somebody posted on here a couple of weeks ago asking why women always get stressed at Christmas. Well in this house it's already started - I've already had a couple of complaints that I don't contribute anything to Christmas, meanwhile for the last few weeks she's been out scouring the shops, quite why everybody has to have not one or two but MANY presents is beyond me.... last year the nipper must have had around 35 presents, probably ten of them from us and ten from Grandma, accumulated over the months leading up to Xmas. Quite a few never get opened and end up being Ebayed or given to charity.

*shakes head* It's a nightmare. I'm dreading it, the sullen silences, the wounded looks, the weary sighs of resignation....

(And before anybody tells me to pull my weight, this morning I've emptied the dishwasher, washed up the breakfast stuff by hand, relaid the fire, hoovered the whole downstairs and fettled the privacy lock on the family bathroom, gone out in the car for an hour to scour the town for swimming trunks for the nipper - elastic broke yesterday. Oh, and got lunch, while she was upstairs locked in a bedroom wrapping presents.)

The trunks weren't suitable so the afternoon walk is cancelled because she's gone off to buy some for tomorrow's swimming lesson.... I could have replaced the elastic in the old pair for a few pence.....

 

[addictfreak]

Im with you on this. I usually try to go into work, but its not an option this year unfortunately. Theres nothing better than leaving at 8am on Christmas morning and coming back at 6pm when its all over.

 

[gaz]

she was upstairs locked in a bedroom wrapping presents.

that sounds to me like you locked her in there!

Christmas is a tough time, i think us men like to be relaxed about it!

 

[Greedo]

I would hate all that stress. I just see Christmas as a time to have a laugh and relax. Being a catholic I'm sure I was taught there's more to it than that but to me I see it that way.

The only stress I tend to get is I do kick the arse out of the long lunch and early "to the pub" finishes using the fact that "It's Christmas" as the excuse for being half cut more than normal the 2 weeks leading up to it. Purely because not by any means pished but just had a bit too much that I can't drive and driving to shopping centres is the thing that stresses MrsG out the most. Think this year i'll calm it a bit though as I've a lot of stuff to do and need to have a clear head.

 

[addictfreak]

My ideal time would be to get up around 9am have a nice cooked breakie with Mrs AF. Open pressies, get ready off out for a nice walk and stop off at the pub. After a few drinks, back home do the dinner together and relax afterwards with a nice glass of Port!

The reality! Get woken up far too early. Have pressies thrust in my face before im awake. Time for a quick bacon sarnie, then the in laws arrive. Spend hours helping Mrs AF in the kitchen, have dinner, wash up. Then listen to the inlaws list their illnesses and tablets they take and the side effects. Step daughters usually start argueing about 3pm (they are 22 and 26!)
The time is flying by! Time for tea, then tidy up. In laws finally leave about 6.30. By this time im so pissed of, the day is spoilt. No wonder i'd rather be at work.

I should add that Mrs Af is also totally wiped out by the end of the day, having worked non stop to keep all happy.

 

[numbnuts]

Being on my own I get up go to church come home have something to eat, about 1pm go to my sisters for lunch, 7.30-8pm come home and then go for a walk around the villageb get back and have some tea.......stress, what stress

 

[ttcycle]

RR -it comes down to the fact that Mrs RR seems to be trying to please everyone and that seems in her mind to equate to gifts. If she has said to you that you don't contribute anything to christmas. Ask her what it is that she'd like you to contribute - then it's clear and there's no guessing to be done..

I don't think this time of year should be stressful, it often is but it seems to be about expectations that you have to keep to and doing things out of a duty - I'm not out to please everyone and anyone at the same time and have nothing to prove to those that matter to me. It's a get together, good food and a chilled time I hope. Water off a ducks back is what I say. Whether you're a man or woman has nothing to do with it. I know some guys that rip out their hair at this time of year- I question whether this time of year is a magnification of how people deal with stuff throughout the year.ie if you're a stressy type - you'll be worse during christmas.

 

[Aperitif]

RR -it comes down to the fact that Mrs RR seems to be trying to please everyone and that seems in her mind to equate to gifts. If she has said to you that you don't contribute anything to christmas. Ask her what it is that she'd like you to contribute - then it's clear and there's no guessing to be done..

I don't think this time of year should be stressful, it often is but it seems to be about expectations that you have to keep to and doing things out of a duty - I'm not out to please everyone and anyone at the same time and have nothing to prove to those that matter to me. It's a get together, good food and a chilled time I hope. Water off a ducks back is what I say. Whether you're a man or woman has nothing to do with it. I know some guys that rip out their hair at this time of year- I question whether this time of year is a magnification of how people deal with stuff throughout the year.ie if you're a stressy type - you'll be worse during christmas.

That's easy RR!

All better now...

 

[beanzontoast]

I don't recall Christmas being so stressful 40+ years ago. Maybe it's because we had less commercial pressure piled on us from all angles. Things really were simpler back then. I was happy as a child if I got the one present I'd asked for: anything else was a bonus.

I make it a point nowadays to enjoy the build up to Christmas - the decorations, the bits of secret shopping for others, the carols - but if I ever think something to do with it might be a hassle, I avoid it.

 

[Greedo]

I don't recall Christmas being so stressful 40+ years ago. Maybe it's because we had less commercial pressure piled on us from all angles. Things really were simpler back then. I was happy as a child if I got the one present I'd asked for: anything else was a bonus.

I make it a point nowadays to enjoy the build up to Christmas - the decorations, the bits of secret shopping for others, the carols - but if I ever think something to do with it might be a hassle, I avoid it.

Funny I was talking to my Dad (he's 70) last week about this and he said in Scotland about then Christmas was not a great deal t all. He said you never really saw any houses with decorations and no public lights or decorations. He said he remembers some village in Norway sent Glasgow City Council a Christmas tree and they were going to just chop it up for fire wood.

They decided against it and then just put it up in George Sq with some lights and it's just grown from there, coupled with the fact that more English based companies like John Lewis and the likes moved into Scotland creating more of a big deal of Christmas as New Year was the big thing up here. Still is to a lot but I think the majority now see Christmas as the main event now and New year as 2nd. I personally hate New Year and much prefer Christmas!

 

[Arch]

We're all going to Mum's this year again, I go down on the Weds evening after work. We'll all be there by Christmas Eve afternoon, by which time she and I will have walked down to pick up the Capon, and the tree will be up. Quite a lot of veg prep will have been done already (anything that can sit overnight in a pan of cold water).

Christmas Day, no doubt Oli will have us awake at 7, and we'll love playing with him and maybe giving my sister a rest. Bro-in-law will drive across town to pick up his Mum after breakfast (pork pie, of course) and then we'll all do the pressies (will Oli have been good enough to get the red con harster he wants - you work that one out, he's 2), and then with bro-in-law's Mum enconsed in her chair as guest of honour, and bro-in-law keeping Oli entertained, the Archer women will do lunch with the minimum of fuss and the maximum of culinary organisation.

After lunch, Oli won't be having a nap this year, so volunteers will be sought for the washing up, while he and I will fight over playing with his new train.

Then the kettle goes on for tea.... And then it'll be Oli's bedtime.

Bro-in-law's mum goes home after the cold cuts and salad dinner, and we all go to bed, and then Boxing day we more or less do it all over again, without the presents bit.

I'm looking forward to every second. My only stress once I'm off the train home, is making sure I see Dr Who...

 

[Globalti]

Tell ya what though, with all that fatty meat and veg fibre and beer with pectin the old bowels always get a good workout over Christmas.....

 

[hackbike 666]

Lucky me,I wont have any such problems like this over Christmas.

 

[Flying_Monkey]

As we're supposed to be having a baby any day now, Christmas doesn't really seem like such a big deal this year, but then my wife didn't grow up with Christmas so she finds it all just good fun, which means I am far more relaxed about it too.

 

[Keith Oates]

Last year I was home for Christmas and enjoyed the break very much with the wife and family. This year I'll be away again and, apart from the family, the thing I'll miss the most is the Christams music and carols. I know a lot of people don't like them but for me they 'make' Christmas!!!!!!!!