I love them honest I do but I’m glad they’ve gone.

I agree with you last few years I have had my Son and his partner to stay for 4 days over Christmas an Daughter an her partner an Granddaughter and yes it's lovely to see them but it's hard work to keep trying to please them all . This year I had just had daughter and her partner and Granddaughter who went home Christmas evening which was lovely just to be able to chill and relax after a long day. I keep saying that me and my partner should go and have our Christmas dinner in the pub so next year I might do.

So interesting to read about everyone's Christmases - my husband and I spent Christmas Day at my eldest daughter's house - my younger daughter and family travelled from Cambridge to stay there so it was lovely to be together. Both families seem to get on okay with children from 24 to 19 now. Strangely enough my two lovely daughters never got on well when they were younger but that changed when they had children.

I am feeling rather sad now as it may be a long time before everyone is together again.
I am 81 and my husband is 87 so who knows what next Christmas will bring

harri, that must have hurt!

notanan2, she was not being rude! And, a lovely plant has just been delivered.

I’ve just successfully managed my 50th Christmas lunch, this time 15 of us in a small apartment instead of our big house. It was a good day but exhausting as I’m sure many of you understand. Maybe next year I will accept my daughters offer to host Christmas Day. The best present I had was to learn that I will be a great grandmother on 29th May.
I love them all, including the dogs, but to suddenly find ourselves alone again was a present in itself.
Now my husband thinks we should treat ourselves to a good holiday before my glaucoma worsens and he becomes older. Better go to the travel agents and see what they have
New Year’s Eve will be a quiet affair and I for one am looking forward to it.
Happy New Year to everyone from Bayeux in France

Tinyl - so sorry to hear that. I think you must just take one day at a time and try not to think too far ahead. Sorry - I don't expect that is particularly helpful. Flowers for you.

Totally understand how you feel. I was ill during the summer in France came home and learned my dS n his family coming to stay from other side of the world. My DH and I did everything even minding our 2 Grandchildren when they met up with friends. Left in August then our Dd asked for help as she was moving from house n preparing to join her husband in Dubai who had been offered a job there. She moved in with us and currently after 4 months still with us but goes post New Year. She’s now asking if we will take their car that I have just found out has been in a cattery at 300 pounds per month. I have said no but I have been under pressure. I will resist as I do not wish to have to look after their cat my DH who is ill and my 2 99 year old parents. I have decided next Christmas I will book a holiday for my DH and escape. It’s hard work as you get older and yes I really understand how you must feel.

Tinyl So very sorry for you and your husband after reading your post. I''m afraid I do not have an answer for you but could not just pass your post without saying something. Well done for getting through Christmas Try not thinking of New Years Eve as 'anything' other than any other evening. Again, like Christmas, there is too much pressure on you to have a good time. All I can do is send you virtual hugs and say I am thinking of you and also thinking what a strong person you sound, Being in bed at midnight is a very good plan. You then don't know anything about it!!

Christmas with family can be a bit like banging your head on a wall. It’s lovely when it stops!

We spent four days with my dd1 and her family. It’s only the third Christmas I’ve spent away from home in 47 years. It has been lovely and we appreciated it very much.

With four DC, partners and GC, we have an ever-changing roll of characters over most Christmases. Everyone mucks in with cooking and cleaning but it’s the bed linen changing that I hate. Also that the washing machine seems to be on constantly but no one ever remembers to empty it!

Sb74 You are enjoying your 11 and 13 year-olds - would that I had those days again!! We do appreciate our ACs and GCs especially at Christmas but there are limitations to coping abilities when one gets older. I think the various experiences here are reassuring to most.

4 days with you - and bringing 2 dogs as well. That’s quite a lot!
My daughter came (with partner and dog) for a 24 hour stay. Much more manageable and lovely to see them. However the dog is huge and I just can’t deal with him for more time than that. Really people shouldn’t foist their pets on others who are not comfortable with them. What is it about people and their dogs??? They get a dog and then become supremely selfish and lose all sense of perspective and empathy. I get annoyed when she expects us to change our habits (and shut out our cat!!) to accommodate her dog.

About 10 years ago we had (in addition to me and dh) 2 x dds plus an Aussie friend of theirs, 2 of our friends and their 2 dogs (we had one) plus my sister and niece from the US - all staying for 4 days or more!
It was actually a lovely Christmas, but took a lot of planning and shopping for meals.

I still have a fond memory of all 3 lovely dogs (all now RIP ?) sitting and looking very politely hopeful in the kitchen while I was stripping the turkey!

Last Christmas it was 6 adults, 2 little Gdcs, all staying. It was fine, esp. since I’d really never thought I’d be doing a family Christmas again.
Does get more tiring as you get older, but I’d be happy to do it again - at least for now.
And there was definitely a ‘phew’ moment once it was back to just us and P and Q.

I’m dreading the New Year. My husband is terminally ill and we have probably just had our last Christmas together. I managed to get through Christmas but dreading New Years Eve. I aim to be in bed at midnight. So very different from last year. My heart is breaking for him, for us and I want to wake up from this nightmare. Im really trying to enjoy what time we have together but I can’t because I know what is to come. Is there a magic answer? Any advice would be welcome.

My Son, wife & 2 little GD’s come on Boxing Day (see them at least once a week) but I never see my other 2 GD’s though I always get a call telling me what to get them for Christmas. They don’t even bother to ring on Christmas Day. The younger one did sent a text to say ‘thank you for my presents. The eldest has a birthday on 30th Dec too. She always gets a gift and cash or money into her account. Last year she got a ring & £200 into her account for her 18th birthday and still didn’t bother to ring and thank us, I had to ring my Daughter to find out if she’d got the ring, sent special delivery, yes, came the text back, she’s been really busy sorting everything out for her party. Sadly every time something breaks down or in 2 instances she’d lost or dropped her phone down the loo ‘can we get her another one. And they needed a new boiler... no hot water or central heating.... we always get the call when something is wanted or goes wrong! We have both been really ill this December, if our youngest son hadn’t come and put the decs up we wouldn’t even have had a tree! It took me all my time to wrap the presents for my stepson to deliver as he goes to his fiancé’s every weekend ( she lives in our home town) and 2 weeks over Christmas. I know they don’t live in the same town as us but I haven’t seen them for nearly 3 years! Am I being stupid to feel hurt? And, no, I haven’t bothered ringing them this year so no doubt I’ll be the bad guy!

There’s a letter in the Irish Times from a lady called Kathleen Keyes which is a hard but beautiful read which I think is worth sharing, with good wishes to us all

Lovely thread, reading all these posts, makes me feel normal ☺.I'm glad my family live very close to me so at least they don't have to sleep over, which seems to bring a lot more work Mine came for boxing day, 10 of us in a small house, we managed with a buffet, had a lovely time , but a sigh of relief when they went home .Time you catch my breath until next time.

Not really an Eddie Murphy fan but I did enjoy that clip ? Thanks Dahlia.

Next year,illnesses permitting,ive begged them for us 3 to go have a holiday somwhere abroad for christmas,with no hassle,

I have totally run out of energy just driven mum home to Peterborough .DD1 and SIL 2 DGD, have returned home this morning .Mil invited herself ( SIL was supposed to be taking her mum for once long story ) and had to sleep on the sofa .But a bit of peace and quiet after mass catering and constant clean up !loved having my frail mum staying so seeing DGD's but much as we love them nice to be relaxed .Getting a takeaway and a beer we deserve it before I return to work Monday morning

My 2 youngest 'boys' made fair job of a turkey dinner to be fair,(under lots of instruction via iphone,from older siblings)) and i couldnt really eat much,but it was not as big a 'hoo-hah' as we usually have,or on boxing day,but it has been a lot quieter this year!(apart from hospital dashes,obviously)

Visitors, like fish, go off after 2 days! ..... even if they are family!

My daughter showed me a clip on You Tube with Eddie Murphy (under the SNL heading for Saturday Night Life), with a Dad at the head of the table, thanking everyone for coming for the festive season. This was broken up with shots of the "real" thoughts he was having - it is such a hoot and ticked all the boxes with Christmases past and present! I think Christmas is like childbirth: you soon forget the pain until the next time! Do find this clip if you can, you'll realise you are not alone!
Happy New Year to you all

I was ill from christmas eve,still am,but now ive got right diagnosis(hopefully) and antibiotics that dont make me worse,( long story) then i will be ok eventually.But,in meantime,i attended 2 trips to urgent care,early hours xmas day,then afternoon boxing day,and 2 ambulance ladies (one about maybe early 50's?)said she'd had all TEN grandchildren round xmas day,the other lady,bit younger,maybe late 30's,early 40-ish?)had older teenagers,BOTH said they were glad to be at work to be honest,& have a break!

We had a lovly Christmas Dinner,this year I had delegated a bit, we were resposible for the turkey,my Daughter had the potatoes par boiled when she arrived, her Husband was in charge of them in the oven.My Daughter in Law brought cooked carrots, cooked sprouts we were in charge of the gravy etc,what a difference that made the time spent usually peeling potatoes and other veg, it was so easy this year, roll on next year! Everyone was happy with their contribution, most of all me!

What's funny is they probably feel guilty for not coming over like that more often. LOL.

morethan2 love it. Me too one week of sheer stress I swear I should have Travelodge above my front door, all the cooking, cleaning etc I’ve done. I admit I make a better Mam being three hours away from children. To the ‘oh be glad they came’ lot I have severe depression and making a Christmas Dinner was a mammoth task for me