George once clung to an idealised, movie-style Christmas – perfectly wrapped presents, big meals and a bustling house.
But two of his children have autism and the unpredictability and crowds quickly became overwhelming.
“I always had this version of the perfect Christmas in my head,” he says. “But when my son spent an entire family gathering standing alone at the end of the garden, I thought: if this isn’t for him, then who is it for?”
Now he builds Christmas around comfort and predictability: staying at home, keeping numbers low and spreading activities out.
One major change was the meal itself.
“We’ve stopped having Christmas dinner on Christmas Day,” he explains and instead they cook it on Christmas Eve or Boxing Day.
“Then on the day itself we’re not stressing about a big project and we just play with the kids and order a curry in the evening.”