What is the best thing about having grandparents around for Christmas?

Lara....we were discussing what’s happening this Christmas vis-a-vis lunch...and my grandson aged 11 ups and says. “I have an idea daddy...let’s do what’s best and come to nannies as usual, great food, great presents and fun” .Said it all to me...now I know they love to see me ‘on the day’

Sadly I never have seen my son and his family on Christmas Day. His wife’s mother always hosted, or they split the day between their homes. I usually get invited on Boxing Day but often they are off to football or everyone is busy doing their own thing.
I have hosted my daughter once or twice but there is no set pattern. I really enjoy being a guest, watching the children play with their presents, playing games, hugs and cuddles if there are tears.

My grandparents were all gone by the time I was 6 in fact I only knew my maternal grandparents. I think my GS likes having us around anyway not sure Xmas is different.

I only once remember spending Xmas afternoon with my paternal GP at their home. There were hoards of aunties, uncles & cousins in their tiny cottage, laughing & drinking & generally having fun, with the boy cousins running up and down the steep stairs to visit bedridden GGM, with the pianola loudly playing away in the room too. It was so noisy I remember sitting under the table with my fingers in my ears & longing to be taken home. Our own xmas’ are less raucous & I can’t think of anything better than just as it’s getting dark after dinner on Xmas day, with all the lights shimmering on the tree, to be with our GD’s playing any game they want, whilst their parents & DH have an after dinner snooze. Special memories.

I think my Dgc love having me around at Christmas as they love me saying "Oh wow"! at every parcel they open, I also have the time and patience to play games and generally join in with their games, the sillier the better.
Then I walk back home, literally up my garden, we live so close and carry on cooking the turkey, roast potatoes, stuffing and gravy and then call for help and we troup back, me carrying the turkey, much to theirs and the neighbours amusement.
Meanwhile Dd has done the veg and all the rest of it.
Boxing Day I take both my Dc and families out for lunch and then back to mine for lounging about, nibbles and fun.
Love Christmas, in fact love any day I can be with my Dc & Dgc.

My late father would spend the whole of Christmas day building our children's latest Lego models or playing the new board game with them. His patience was endless.

My Mum and I lived with her parents so Christmas Day was just another family day for us. While Mum cooked the dinner Granddad played games with me, sometimes he would bring out an old Magic Lantern from his youth, or a Charlie Chaplin dancing puppet, it was rare for my GM to join in. After dinner they usually fell asleep by the fire and I was expected to amuse myself quietly with my new presents. Mum would be preparing food for Boxing Day when we always had visitors, she didn't often play with me anyway. By the time I was 8 or 9 I found Christmas rather boring, the usually busy streets outside were silent, no children playing and when they reappeared on Boxing Day with new bikes, scooters and prams I wasn't allowed out because we had visitors! I never knew my paternal GPs. I hope our GC find us more fun on the rare occasions they spend Christmas with us.

I lived in the same house as my paternal grandparents so less impact on a 'special' occasion. When we visited my maternal grandmother that was a steam train jaunt from Kings X to Darlington. So that made it special in itself! When at my Nana's the sleeping arrangements were different too! There were only 2 bedrooms. Mum and Nana shared a bed, I had a truckle bed in the room with them. Dad slept in the spare bed in my cousin R's room. R was brought up by my nana as his mum, my aunt was unmarried. If my aunt came up from London too then she stayed with her unmarried aunts nearby. Nana was an ace cook and the Christmas lunch was always great. It was the novelty of it all that I remember most! And having to be very quiet for the Archers ...probably not on Christmas day but certainly when we were there!

I don't remember any of my GP coming on Christmas day, though I assume they did as they lived nearby.
There was only my mum alive by the time my DC were born. I would collect her on Christmas Eve and we would attend the Christingle service at the local church, then back to ours where she would stay until 27th. She loved to watching the children unwrap presents and play games with them.
I have never spent a Christmas with my DGC as they either had other GPs visiting from abroad or they were off spending it at GP's house. This year will be different though. They are arriving on Boxing Day to stay for a few days. I would so love to see their faces on Christmas day but I will be greatful for what we have.

For me the benefit of visiting my grandparents at Christmas was that it was a place for all my cousins to gather. I loved that and it didnt continue when they died to the same extend as there was no longer that "centre" of the family for everyone to gravitate to.

I did however pick up upon the tensions between adults at these gatherings and it made me enjoy my grandparents company less as I could feel that my parents were stressed and that made me feel stressed. Although I'm sure at the time the adults thought they were putting on a good show of niceness on front of us kids.

When we started having christmasses at home without grandparents it became a much more relaxed affair. I missed the cousins but not the tension.

As adults my cousins all remember the tense atmosphere at the big Christmases too even though nothing was said on front of us kids. Then again I wouldn't have the same bonds with my cousins if we hadn't shared those times.

My granny lived with us ,she died when I was 18 and it would have been unthinkable to have Christmas without her or for with my own children without GP's.In fact we have never spent christmas...this is our 44th without them.Only one GP left and she joins us the week before Christmas and goes home the day after Boxing day .

We all have our day together,my daughter and son and their families and any friends with no one to share the day with .The wee ones love having their great gran around ...at any time but its especially nice to have her here for special days.

I can't remember anything about Xmas when I was a child.
But we must have seen both sets of GPs because we lived with Mum's parents, and Dad's were just round the corner.
When our children were growing up husband's Dad and rels., who lived locally,came to us on Xmas day and we played cards all afternoon. We used to drive up north to see my Mum and Dad and 2 old aunties on Boxing day - happy memories of that except one year we had to cancel because of the weather.
Now we're the grandparents and are trying to organise a 3-4 day visiting programme over new year to see all 3 who will be in England.
Not looking forward to the drive, but am to seeing them.
We can't see the 4th because they're in India.

I've just realised I haven't answered the question, So I'll have to wait and ask the grandchildren when I see them.
When my parents visited us and our children we didn't have enough bedrooms so 2 children slept outside in a tent - they thought it was fun!

My Mum was number 10 of 11: I have no Christmas memories of. Grandparents so I assume they spent Christmas with other parts of the family. For my own children, having Nana and Grandad arrive signalled the start of Christmas. DB and his wife came too until they had children of their own, so we were always 9 for Christmas dinner. Grandad used to cook the dinner and Nana was always there to wash up and cuddle.
My memory of my last Christmas with my mum is of washing up together and then watching “White Christmas”. She was very ill then and died in the Spring.
This Christmas we hope to have 10 for lunch including the latest DGD who will be almost a month old. Her Mum will provide her lunch ?

My grandparents had all died by the time I was born so I do feel I missed out. Christmas Day was just me and my parents as they did not drive and there were no buses. I do have happy memories of watching " A merry Christmas morning" with Leslie Crowther. On Boxing Day my aunties took turns to host and we all crammed into one of their little houses. It was great fun and we were allowed a taste of a Snowball drink.
When my children were small we ran a hotel so my parents came to us and looked after the children while we worked. They joined all the activities with our guests and had a great time. It stopped me feeling guilty how little time I could spend with the children though we always made time to open presents!
My DD and I take turns to host and older DS joins us. He goes to collect his son after dinner. We all make something for dinner. We eat, drink and play games and it's lovely. The DGC get two lots of presents as they get some in the morning then they get the ones Father Christmas "accidentally " left at our house!

Both my maternal grandparents had died by the time I was five and my paternal grandparents had both died by the time I was a teenager, so they never really played a major part in my life or my Christmases. I, although I have no idea for how much longer, am pretty central in my grandchildren's lives, to my lasting delight.

Absentdaughter has taken over Christmas hospitality (my responsibility for decades with our extended family in the UK) but I can always be counted on to produce a number of yummy home-made treats, plus a goodly supply of crackers (both sorts – the ones you eat with cheese and the ones you pull) olives, a selection of cheeses, some naughty grown-up's liqueur chocolates and some naughty children's sweets, etc. (I am contemplating a gingerbread house this year, but am not sure I have the time.)

I can play board games, endlessly read the same new story fourteen times and help clear up the Christmas lunch table and wash up anything that cannot go in the dishwasher. I can applaud the trampolining, the cricket and the riding around on a new scooter. I like to think I can be fun. I also like to think that I am bright enough to go home before I get boring, out of hand or fall asleep in the sofa.

Newnanny will crawl around the floor and push Thomas the tank engine around the track with Grandpa making an elaborate track with tunnels and bridges. Newnanny will cuddle baby while his Mum is cooking in kitchen. Extra pair of hands with serving up meal and clearing away afterwards. Making memories with grandkids they will hopefully remember when they are older and we have passed.

See I don’t get this thread.

Once we stop thinking of grand as rosy cheeked knitters snd granddads as a parody of ‘Percy the park keeper’ we can see things how they are.

Some grandparents are normal/fun/vile/wonderful/supportive/ just like parents as all adults are.

My one gran was utterly vile while the other was ok. As a gran myself I think I am
Pretty awesome while my dils mum is bloody hard work.

Silly thread gransnet

My Gran taught us how to play whist and other card games , also she did have an unending supply of mints in her pocket , a wee bit fluffy but who cared . We spent Christmas turn about with my parents and In Laws till the famous day when Mum greeted us with overwhelming alcohol fumes , said the turkey was in the oven and she was going to bed ! . We did finish the cooking , ate a subdued meal , washed up and took the puzzled children home to play with their toys . After that I hosted the Day and anyone who wanted came , I never actually frisked her , but a few fumes escaped and coffee was produced to keep her awake till she was poured into OHs car and taken home . We managed to gloss over it all and the children just remember her being chatty and funny

My children have always spent some time with their paternal grandparents at Christmas. When they were younger we all trooped down to Devon to stay with them for Christmas and New Year, then twenty odd years ago we moved to Devon ourselves and continued to get together with them almost every day of the holiday season. There are certain traditions that were instigated by their grandparents that I am sure will be continued through the generations.

However, the best thing about having their grandparents around is the closeness that has been built up over many years between them and my now adult children. One of my sons has just had his first baby and she is named for both her grandmothers - I think that speaks to the closeness of the bond.

We used to go to granny's when we were children. I don't remember granny did much except prepare food. Granda dressed as santa and gave out presents from a sack. But it was such a magical day every year.
My children rarely come to us in spite of us wanting them to. So I obviously dont add much. But hey! My son has invited us this year for Christmas day ?. I'm so looking forward to it.

We always had my grandma over when we were kids, and I always thought my mom would take her place and she has, but mom has Alzheimer so visits are difficult. It's so sad to see her so lost and scared looking.
We have a huge gathering of us kids at my brother's and all the kids (except one out of state) have a Christmas gathering together with mom and her saint of a husband a couple of days before actual Christmas.
The best thing about having here there, is having her there!

My grandchildren wouldn't recognise Christmas without my presence (and/or presents) because they spend so much time at my house, they seem to think it is some kind of annexe of their own house. Obviously, if I am there, so is Mr absent and ex-Mr absent is their grandfather. Besides, they like all the dips and biscuits that I cook and bring, although absentdaughter is the hostess and main cook.

I can remember the first Christmas with in laws. A lovely big house (I came from a council house rehoused when slums were demolished); MIL a fabulous cook and. . . It was awful! Lol! MIL grumpy but wouldn’t let anyone help; DH’s maternal Grandad expecting to be treated like royalty and FIL his usual miserable self. New Sisters in law unhappy too. Good job I have a sense of humour! I could have stayed home with my lovely Mum, Dad and sister

What is great about having this grandparent around at Christmas is how my grandchildren rush to hug me the moment I arrive – and complain about how long it has taken me to get there even though it is relatively early in the morning.