Telling your family: We won't be home for Christmas, We're going to Disney!

[TwinkleKS]

When we decided to start spending Christmas at Disney many moons ago it was after over a decade of spending it mainly at the in laws (and occasionally my parents). We were just very straight forward - we have decided it is time to start our own traditions and we will be spending Christmas in Florida. We will see you before or after our trip or you are welcome to come along if you want. Everyone has been okay with it. My in laws realized that most of the family was growing up (DH and I were the only ones with young kids) and we needed to have our our traditions. We no longer have one of us feeling bad if we aren't with our family on Christmas. We are together with the kids. DH's parents don't travel anymore. Mine like to join us for part of the trip every other year when my brother doesn't have his son on Christmas.

Bottom line --- just be straightforward and let people know your plans.

 

[bigbabyblues]

I would just tell them this year we have made other plans. If they have a problem with it they will just have to either go with you or say have a great time. You can’t live your married life pleasing others because you will never make them happy. Enjoy yourself!!

Oh, that would be a HECK NO in my house.

 

[ofcabbagesandkings]

For almost a decade DH and I spent Christmas running between his family and mine, trying to keep everyone happy. That meant spending all my travel dollars and time going first from my boring hometown, and his family's annual trip which I also never enjoyed. What finally changed this was having kids. Our firstborn was too young to fly his first Christmas, and that holiday at home was a revelation - it was so nice not dealing with the stress of high season travel to a place I don't even like. We still spent a few years doing the holiday shuffle, even after one particularly awful New Years stranded at an airport while flight after flight was cancelled due to a snowstorm in the Northeast. The best Christmas we had in all those years was the one where we went to WDW when I was pregnant with #2. We went because the Osborne Holiday lights were ending, and we invited my mom to join us. It was the perfect Christmas and my favorite of our WDW trips so far. Mild weather, beautiful decorations, no cooking or cleaning, lots of great characters in costume for DS to meet. Now that my grandmother has passed, I feel no pressure to go back to my hometown for the holidays anymore, and my extended relatives are all busy enough with their own families that they won't take offense. This doesn't mean I'm anti-family, one cousin who I haven't seen in quite a while will be staying with us next Christmas with his wife and baby. My in-laws will be joining us for Thanksgiving. And in a few years, if I plan another Christmas WDW trip, we'll probably invite mom along again. But life is too short to do things that make you miserable out of obligation.

 

[jerseygal]

For almost a decade DH and I spent Christmas running between his family and mine, trying to keep everyone happy. That meant spending all my travel dollars and time going first from my boring hometown, and his family's annual trip which I also never enjoyed. What finally changed this was having kids. Our firstborn was too young to fly his first Christmas, and that holiday at home was a revelation - it was so nice not dealing with the stress of high season travel to a place I don't even like. We still spent a few years doing the holiday shuffle, even after one particularly awful New Years stranded at an airport while flight after flight was cancelled due to a snowstorm in the Northeast. The best Christmas we had in all those years was the one where we went to WDW when I was pregnant with #2. We went because the Osborne Holiday lights were ending, and we invited my mom to join us. It was the perfect Christmas and my favorite of our WDW trips so far. Mild weather, beautiful decorations, no cooking or cleaning, lots of great characters in costume for DS to meet. Now that my grandmother has passed, I feel no pressure to go back to my hometown for the holidays anymore, and my extended relatives are all busy enough with their own families that they won't take offense. This doesn't mean I'm anti-family, one cousin who I haven't seen in quite a while will be staying with us next Christmas with his wife and baby. My in-laws will be joining us for Thanksgiving. And in a few years, if I plan another Christmas WDW trip, we'll probably invite mom along again. But life is too short to do things that make you miserable out of obligation.

Aagh, Osborne Lights, the BEST, so wish that the Lights were still at HS, so FESTIVE for the holidays! ! LOVED them!