7 Ways Kids Totally Ruin Christmas (in Delightful Ways)

After a wild year, Christmas is finally here today, which means you will most likely have a few kids running around the house, opening presents and making the most of their sugar rush from baked goods and cookies. For some, they will make the day feel more like work than a day off.

With the coronavirus pandemic making the year feel especially longer and keeping a lot of us socially responsible by social distancing and staying home, we all certainly love our kids but they still completely ruin Christmas (in ways we actually love). Don’t they know we have the day off and we’d rather be sleeping in? Here are seven ways kids ruin Christmas in delightful ways.

They Make You Wake Up Early

All we want to do on Christmas is sleep in, but your kids aren’t going to let you do that. They have either made you stay up late to make sure Santa Claus comes or are too eager to get up before dawn to open presents. We’ve got a long weekend. Why won’t they let us sleep? Or at least deliver us breakfast in bed?

Why Don’t They Want Santa to Bring Stuff We Can Buy in Stores?

Little kids tend to ask Santa for outlandish things, which sets them up for disappointment when they don’t find it sitting under the tree. They make it a challenge to figure out how to find a compromise between a crazy expensive or unobtainable thing and something we can easily pick up at the store. You don’t want to see a disappointed child on Christmas morning. 

They’re Always Singing Christmas Songs

If you think the radio station playing Christmas songs on a loop for 24-7 for the past four weeks is annoying, just try to live with children constantly singing Christmas songs with the wrong words. Even learning the songs in school doesn’t stop them from forgetting all the gifts in “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” 

They Can’t Get You an iPhone or Tablet

Why don’t these kids get their parents a useful gift like an iPhone or a tablet? Oh, because we give them their allowance and they can’t afford it. That means we’re obligated to the art they made in school. But at least we will cherish those forever. An iPhone goes out of date, but kids’ school projects are unique. 

Why Do They Watch the Same Christmas Specials Over and Over Again?

We get that A Charlie Brown Christmas is one of the best Christmas specials of all time, but do we really have to watch it every year? How many times can we see the Grinch’s heart go from “two sizes too small” to three sizes too big? Sure, it’s wonderful to see kids’ eyes light up when they watch the same specials we grew up with, but they get a little tiring after a while. 

Why Are They Always Happy?

Not only are the kids always singing their favorite Christmas Carols, but they are also usually happy all the time. They need to get serious at some point of the day. Otherwise, we’ll get happy too and be stuck that way for the rest of the day. Joy is infectious. 

They Love the Snow

Those charming kids of ours love to play in the snow. It’s super cold outside, and all they want to do is go build a snowman. Sure, it’s a fun family activity, but the last thing we want to do on a day off is go outside and get covered in the white stuff. Maybe we should try to make digging out the cars a fun family tradition.