If you have children, no matter how old they are, you'll be aware that Christmas can be a particularly difficult time of year.
When your children hit their teenage years and get enveloped with music and computer games, keeping them entertained over the Christmas period isn't particularly difficult.
Up until this age, however and it can, on occasion, be somewhat of a nightmare.
Whilst you've no doubt got your own ways to keep your children entertained over Christmas, take a look through the following five points for inspiration.

1. Start giving out tree presents - if you're like most families around the world and open all of your Christmas presents on Christmas Day itself, generally on Christmas Day morning, by the time afternoon comes around, chances are your children have already started to be a little restless.
   To combat this, some families place small presents on or around the tree that can only be opened once dinner has been eaten and cleared up fully, a great idea to give your children something further to look forward to.
   
2. Keep a present to one side - rather than giving your children all of their presents on Christmas Day, keep one or two aside and when they're being particularly restless during the festive period, give them the presents that you put to one side.
   
3. Take them to see family - although some families with young children ask for friends and family to visit them, so that they're children can play with their toys, you can break up the Christmas period by taking your children out to see your friends and family instead.
   It might mean a few hours without their Christmas presents, but they aren't likely to miss them as much as you think.
   
4. Make Christmas decorations - on the run up to Christmas, a fantastic way to keep your children entertained is to make Christmas decorations with them.
   Get out the paper, glue and glitter and sit with them to create everything from paintings for the wall through to streamers to run throughout the house.
   
5. Let them play - at the end of the day, Christmas is a time that children love and parents can get too hung up over ensuring that their little ones don't get bored.
   Try and not worry as much and just let them play with their presents - if they're bored and want something to do, they'll tell you; otherwise, just sit back and enjoy the festivities.