How do you divvy up Christmas?

[AbernathysFringe]

I'm aware that my situation's fairly unusual in that ex and i are really good friends, he comes over 3 x a week, more if I need him, to see DD for 5 hours at a time, sometimes takes her off to see his family or to a park or something. She'll be 18 months this Xmas. Last Xmas she was at my house the whole time and he came for the Eve and went to his mum's alone for the actual day. Havent spoken about this year yet. What do you all do? What are some ways of doing it? His mum is a long drive away and don't fancy him taking DD on Xmas day to go there really, he's not the greatest driver and it's a very accident prone day.

[AbernathysFringe]

Sorry, meant to add, I'm fine with him having her for the Xmas day, it's just the long car journey, 6 hours altogether, that puts me off. I wouldn't want to go with him as not overly keen on some of his family.
I guess I just would love to have some stories of what you all do to give me some ideas for when the discussion inevitably crops up!

[Fourormore]

We split the day - one has Christmas Eve til 1pm (waking up and presents) and the other has them til 1pm Boxing Day (Christmas lunch and more presents). Now they're a bit older, I think I'd prefer one of us to alternate the whole day but my ex isn't keen.

[AliceInUnderpants]

Could he come to yours in the morning first thing for an hour or two before heading to his parents?

I have always had ours for Xmas. He isn't particularly interested at the best of times and is happy enough with that arrangement. If he's available he'll maybe see them for a bit on Xmas Eve (or til tea time if it's his usual contact day), then I have them through to Boxing Day when he gets them about midday and keeps them overnight until tea time on the 27th.
When they were younger, he and his grandparents used to pop in for an hour or so Xmas morning to give gifts.

[CoffeeAtLukes]

We all spend the day together at my house. Both our families are far away so we made an agreement early on not to take dd away. If people want to come to us that is great and they are more than welcome. We normally end up with a combination of parents and siblings.

The house is getting a little crowded now I have a new partner and child but we manage to squeeze everyone in.

[Lonecatwithkitten]

Alternate Christmases here. The Christmases I don't have DD we work and we have Christmas together on a different day. We often combine the 'other' with my sister and her children who also love getting two Christmas days.

[1DAD2KIDS]

The kids live with me full time as my ex wife move 100 miles away. We get on and its important for me that we reduce the impact on the kids life as much as possible. So we try and spend Christmas together with the kids. This will be our second year at this. Last year we spent it at her mums (100 miles away). I am always very welcome there with her family (a lot more than she is, as they hate the way she treated me and the kids). This year she is coming to say with me and the kids for Christmas. We intent to alternate between hers and mine every year. Because we can get along it means we can keep it simple and both be able to spend a proper Christmas with the kids and not miss out on anything. So that's how we do it.

Also she is coming with me and the kids to Blackpool in Nov. Hopefully it will be fun. At the end of the day they have two parents and I cant see why we cant work together now and then.