The years spent browsing through festive catalogs and scrolling through holiday Pinterest boards have led me to envision Christmas morning with my children as a series of idyllic moments reminiscent of a Norman Rockwell painting, all set to the soothing sounds of holiday music. Many parents likely have dreams of how magical opening gifts with their kids on Christmas morning will be, and while it may be memorable, it’s often not for the reasons you expect. Here’s a glimpse into the real experience of Christmas morning with little ones.
Expectation vs. Reality
Expectation: You’ll gently awaken your children, whispering “Merry Christmas!” while enveloping them in a warm hug. You’ll then open the curtains to reveal a picturesque winter wonderland, before donning matching robes and heading downstairs to unwrap gifts together.
Reality: Instead, you’re jolted awake in the pitch dark by a whirlwind of excitement, as your child shouts, “Get up, get up! It’s Christmas!” loud enough to wake the baby, who promptly starts crying. You glance at the clock, realizing it’s barely 6 AM. As you throw on an old hoodie, a less-than-pleasant odor wafts through the air—not the comforting scent of cinnamon or pine. You hastily dress your youngest in the first clean outfit you find, followed by a hurried descent downstairs, led by your eager oldest.
Expectation: You and your partner will relax on the couch, with the baby snuggled between you, enjoying coffee while your oldest savors cinnamon rolls and explores their stocking, each new treasure eliciting delight. After breakfast, it’s gift-opening time, with your child excitedly playing Santa, distributing gifts so everyone can share in the joy.
Reality: Your older child, starving and somewhat irrational, declares they want eggs instead of the cinnamon rolls, but they also want to open presents “right now!” You compromise by letting them bring the stocking to the table while you scramble eggs, all while keeping an eye on the baby. You manage to catch glimpses of your child’s excitement over their stocking goodies and finally present the eggs, only for them to immediately switch gears and demand a cinnamon roll instead. Thank goodness for pre-packaged treats!
Once everyone is fed and caffeinated, you shuffle into the living room for gift-opening. Your child dives into the pile of presents, most of which are for them, causing wrapping paper to fly everywhere like snowflakes in a blizzard. Just as you think to capture a photo of this chaotic joy, you realize your phone is still on the nightstand. You mentally note the scene, hoping to recreate it later for social media.
Expectation: Your kids will be thrilled with each gift, and your older child will be overjoyed when they unwrap the toy they’ve been eagerly anticipating since Halloween. Once the excitement settles, they’ll leap into your arms to express their gratitude, leaving you overwhelmed with pride at the wonderful person they are becoming.
Reality: The baby is more interested in chewing on the edge of the box than the gift itself, and when you finally help them unwrap something, they seem far more fascinated with the box than the toy inside. You realize you could have wrapped their current toys and saved some cash. Meanwhile, you completely miss the moment your older child opens their big gift because you’re preoccupied with prying tinsel from the baby’s grip. When you ask your older one how they feel about their new toy, they mutter a distracted, “Yeah, sure, thanks,” while barely glancing up. You try to shake off the disappointment and remind yourself that they do seem genuinely happy.
Now it’s time to grab a hefty trash bag to tackle the mountain of wrapping paper that has overtaken your living room, and then it’s back to the regular daily grind of parenting—hopefully with a stylish new robe to sport while you juggle it all.
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In summary, while Christmas morning may not unfold as the picture-perfect scene we imagine, the reality is filled with its own unique charm and chaos. Embrace the moments, mismatched outfits, and all.