Originally Posted by
snowbunnies300
I am trying to get my house ready for Christmas. Got the lights up outside. I put up the tree yesterday and put garland and lights around the banister. So far no reaction from the kids. None. They could care less about lights. I am so bummed! I loved looking at Christmas lights and they don't care. Last night I started putting together a train set to go under the tree. My mom had one last year and that was the only thing the kids seemed to be interested in.
We will be celebrating Christmas with DH's side of the family this weekend and mine in a couple weeks. So this will be the first Christmas in 10 yrs where we will be on our own on the actual holiday. It will certainly be different. But with this weekend coming up I know I will be stressed about how the boys do with unwrapping gifts. Again, they could care less. We essentially have to do it for them. I've never seen kids who don't want to unwrap a present. It sucks all of the fun out of it. Who doesn't like to see a child's face light up with excitement?
I'm trying to be in the holiday spirit but I feel like my children are missing out on that spirit.
How did it go this past weekend? Holiday celebrations with family are often difficult for DS too. He never reacts the way that relatives expect him to. I understand what you mean about the presents; DS was like that for years. He is better at it now, but he used to refuse to unwrap presents, take toys out of the packaging, etc.
I'm sorry that the kids don't seem to enjoy the decorations. DS always gets anxious when we decorate for the holidays (change in the environment), but after a few days he starts to like the lights. Then he gets upset when we take everything down.
If your kids like the train under the tree, maybe you can make that a major element and see if it inspires their excitement.
The holidays can be really hard.
Gena
DS, age 11 and always amazing
“Autistics are the ultimate square pegs, and the problem with pounding a square peg into a round hole is not that the hammering is hard work. It's that you're destroying the peg." - Paul Collins, Not Even Wrong