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23rd December 2023
01:06pm GMT
Joe Swash has shared what Christmas will look like at Pickle Cottage this year.
He and his wife, Stacey Solomon, have a blended family and are raising six children together: Zack, 15, Leighton, 11, Rex, 4, Rose, 2, and Belle, 10 months old, as well as Harry, 16, Joe's son from a previous relationship.
This year will be baby Belle's first Christmas, with the couple planning to make it extra special for all of their children.
Speaking to Hello!, the actor says he and Stacey will really be focusing on Rex and Rose's experience of the holiday.
"The first Christmas, they don't really know what's going on," the actor explained to the outlet, referring to Belle. "It's all about parents making themselves feel good.
"But with Rose, now she's two, she is so into Christmas. She can't wait, she loves a bit of Santa Claus. My Rex as well, he's only four-years-old, I know Rex and Rose this year, are really going to appreciate Christmas.”
The father of four says that he and his wife want to appreciate these moments over the holidays before they grow up.
"Christmas is all about the kids and their reactions to. Me and Stacey are so lucky, we've got the most amazing family and we make the most of Christmas at the minute because they're going to grow up soon and a few of them in the next couple of years are going to fly the nest and they're not going to be as interested," Joe added.
"Me and Stacey know we've got make the most of it because these are real magical times for us.”
On Christmas morning, the TV personality says, like many households, the kids are up at the crack of dawn to see what Santa Claus brought.
"Our kids get up really early. They're up at half four or five o'clock anyway. At about 10 o'clock, we've gone through that a few presents and things have calmed down, the kids are a little less excited, so me and Stacey take the time to ring family.
And, like all households with kids at Christmas, the gift-opening part of the day excites the little ones.
To avoid being overwhelmed, Joe says they have a system that will teach them to appreciate receiving gifts.
"We don't open all the presents at once. Sometimes the kids can get a bit overwhelmed and it becomes an opening present contest.
"So we make sure that our kids always open a card first and read out loud who the present's from before they open it. Sometimes they think 'we've got something', but I think it's really important to know who got you something.”
When it comes to gifting his wife, the actor admits he doesn't always get it right.
Joe admits that Stacey usually gives her husband a list of things, but he, in a bid to be 'inventive' and'surprise' her, can go off course.
"It doesn't usually work and she's like: 'You should have just stuck with the list,'" he explained.
Proof that if there's a list, we should always stick to it!
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