We don't have any set holiday traditions just yet. Sometimes I have hosted. Sometimes we go to one of our mom's. I will say after divorce (my parents) holidays just became less important and less fun to me.
Next year we will have a LO, the first for both sides, and I'm sure holidays will be fun again. Did your celebrations change much after LO was born? Are you forever hosting Thanksgiving and Christmas because people want to spend time with your LO?
hostess / wonderful persimmon / 25556 posts
We get to stay home more. 
We offer to go for Thanksgiving because it's not far but now my parents come to us for Christmas. It's really nice.
pomelo / 5678 posts
SO MUCH BETTER! I was always a little bored and I could never be bored now. I don't host, my same aunts always host, and that's fine by me. It is so much fun having LO and I always wanted to do all the kid activities - now I get to!
pear / 1703 posts
Ours didn't change at all, except they got better! I think thats mostly because we had very set traditions in our family since forever and adding an LO just made everything a little more exciting.
I hope people don't expect you to host! If anything, people expected less of us once we had an LO, they understood how difficult it can be.
wonderful pomelo / 30692 posts
For Thanksgiving, not much has changed - we still go to either my parents' or my in-laws' for dinner. But Christmas is changing. Now that we have two kids, we've decided we want to spend Christmas at home instead of traveling, so we're inviting our families over instead.
Plus, buying for kids is sooooooo much fun! I'm so excited for Christmas this year!!
wonderful kiwi / 23653 posts
I think it actually works out for the better for us with kids! Everyone caters to what we want, haha! And I'm sure it will be more lively! The one big change is that we have to be home by like 7-7:30 to put DD to bed.
wonderful pea / 17279 posts
@Autumnmama79: my husband thinks if I take a no travel stance we will have to play host every holiday, every year. I didn't grow up with grandparents and aunts/ uncles clamoring to see us on the holidays, so I hope to some degree our families don't hound us.
pear / 1703 posts
@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: Could you travel every other year? or is that not an option.
GOLD / wonderful coconut / 33402 posts
No one expected it to change. We just told ILs that we would now be spending Christmas day at home the 3 of us. We didn't want her memories of Christmas to be a 4-5 hour car trip. We just go the next day.
cantaloupe / 6397 posts
We don't travel anymore. We used to do a 14 hour road trip every Christmas, now my in-laws plan to come to us. Luckily they recognize that it's just too hard for us to travel with young kids. It does mean we host every year though.
GOLD / watermelon / 14076 posts
We used to travel for both Thanksgiving and Christmas (to the same destination), and now we just travel for Thanksgiving. Two road trips that close together with a LO aren't very fun and we want to be able to wake up and open presents at our own house. My parents and brother come to our house for Christmas now.
wonderful pea / 17279 posts
@Autumnmama79: we could travel any year TBH; what irks me more than anything, which is why I'd like to just do our own thing is that plans seem to be so last minute. Already today MIL is complaining she doesn't feel like cooking on Thursday. I have a back up, but DH still wants to go over there to "hang out." My mom is a little better with sticking to plans, but she gets bummed if both my bro and I can make it to her house. Then she will cancel too.
ETA: I guess what I'm feeling already is that I will be responsible for making holidays great again for everyone because children=awesome. I'd love kids to be a great excuse to bow out of some gatherings.
wonderful pear / 26210 posts
We alternate Christmas, one year with my inlaws abroad, one year with my family. I actually don't mind going to my inlaws because we go for at least 10 days and we're not travelling on the actual holidays.
Holidays with a kid are fun again, before they were a chore, now my son gets jazzed to decorate a gingerbread house, decorate the tree, shop for presents for others, etc. It's also fun to see my parents, they're having fun again, it's not just a dinner, but all the things that go with the season.
wonderful pea / 17279 posts
For those that host Christmas, are your families over Christmas morning to see LO(s) open presents first thing in the morning? Or do they arrived later for lunch/dinner?
pomegranate / 3716 posts
This will be our first Thanksgiving out and about with LO. Lunch at my parents, and then dinner at DH's Uncle's house. But LO usually goes to bed at 7:15, so we'll be leaving dinner verrrry early.
pear / 1703 posts
@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: That does seem like a bit of a burden to bear if you're feeling like people expect YOU to make holidays fun again just bc you have an LO. I guess the bright side is that you have extended family that really want to be together and spend time with baby?
I have some friends who host the big dinners but have them catered by one of the hotels. Its an expense for sure, but maybe an option? Possibly a restaurant in your city does something like that?
pear / 1703 posts
@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: If it were me hosting, I'd insist that they come in the later afternoon for dinner, I'd want some 'new family' time just for us in the morning - thats the best time!
wonderful pea / 17279 posts
@Autumnmama79: Good ideas! the way people race about Fresh Market's holiday dinners I may do that one year. Who knows I may embrace a casual potluck dinner or let others cook in my kitchen.
wonderful pear / 26210 posts
@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: When we have Christmas at home, we open some presents together as a family, the Santa gifts, mainly. Then, we host a brunch and there is additional gift opening.
cantaloupe / 6017 posts
My daughter is 2.5, and we are hosting Xmas for the first Time this year. The first two we lived in a tiny apartment, but this year we have our house, so we aren't traveling.
We used to split Xmas, so we'd do Xmas eve/Xmas morning at one set of parents, and then Xmas day at the other parents. We'd flip back and for between who got what each year.
This year would have been my parents turn for Xmas eve, so we invited them up. They will spend Xmas eve here. My in laws are coming later in the morning, and I think one of my sister in laws is spending Xmas night, but most others are going home.
We are only about an hour from each family, so it's easier for us.
I'm so excited about Christmas. It got kind of boring for awhile. Ours is the first grandkid. We are starting some new traditions, and incorporating ones from each family. But basically our family is invited to join us. I'm not sure how it will work in the future. We are closer with my parents, and they are more comfortable with our style (not having the t.v. On, doing ceremonial/special things like candles, songs, bonfire, etc.)
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