This is going to be the best Christmas ever!” We’ve all probably said or thought that at one time or another. Sadly, the real thing doesn’t always live up to expectations. For me, the disillusionment has often begun as early as a couple of weeks before, when eagerly scanning through the special double edition of the Radio Times to discover that there’s absolutely nothing on worth watching. Except Doctor Who, of course – there’s always Doctor Who!

However, I have every reason to be optimistic this year, as here at Ayres Mansion we have truly entered a new golden era of Christmas. My children are now aged six and three which are perfect ages for Christmas – young enough to still believe in the magic of it all and old enough to understand it.

In a way, Christmas has come full circle for me. Back in the seventies when I was growing up, every Christmas was exciting and magical. My sister and I used to spend hours making long paper chains to hang up and there was the daily excitement of opening the door of the advent calendar which contained only a picture, and not a chocolate in sight. Chocolate calendars came later. We’d be up at 5am on Christmas Day opening our presents. This was of annoyance not only to our parents, but also the parents of the other children in the street. We thought it perfectly acceptable to go and knock on their doors before 7am to find out what Father Christmas had brought.

Over the years I grew up, left home and the focus of Christmas changed. Now it was all about the partying and the drinking, trying to kiss girls under the mistletoe and that sort of thing. The main excitement on Christmas Eve when I was in my 20s was getting a lift into Oxford in the morning, finishing work at lunchtime and then spending the rest of the day with colleagues frequenting as many of Oxford’s hostelries as possible. With luck someone might bundle me on to a bus at some point heading in the direction of Bicester. The only challenge then was to be up in time the next day to get myself round to my mum’s house for Christmas dinner.

And then I became a parent, and how exciting did that first Christmas with new baby seem? Amazing, but looking back I think we were kidding ourselves a bit. It was all about us, flushed with the joys of new parenthood rather than four-month-old Ollie, happily oblivious in a sea of wrapping paper. But as he got older and baby Jamie came along I rediscovered the excitement of a family Christmas. There’s a real build up and anticipation around the house this year that’s brought back memories of my own childhood. One of the great things about becoming a parent is that it enables you to become a kid yourself all over again, so I can honestly say, hand on heart, I really do believe that this will be the “best Christmas ever!”

Jason Ayres is the Bicester-based author of two books on parenting. You can follow him on Twitter @AusterityDad