Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

to feel the dilemma of where to spend Christmas this year?

30 replies

LoisLaneKent · 22/05/2026 14:33

My parents divorced years ago. This means I usually spend Christmas with my mum's side of the family one year and my dad the alternating year. He has had a couple of girlfriends over the years but he's currently single so in recent years spends the day alone when I'm not there.

Last year he ruined my Christmas Eve while I was away celebrating it with my mum's side. He blew up over the phone about the fact I forgot to send him a Christmas card (should say I also suspect my dad is undiagnosed autistic as he gets fixated on odd things) even though I bought him great presents and was due to see him on return. He still hasn't apologised but our relationship is fine again. He said he was glad we would be together this year for Christmas.

Now the spanner in the works - my mum's side wants to change the year we have Christmas together so that we can include my cousins families and their young children. This means we will go again this year to them, so two years in a row, to reset the year we see them. This will be great as Christmas is always better with the little ones and there's quite a lot of us! I have so far said I'll need to miss it as I said I'd be with my dad this year but I would rather be spending it with them. Given my dad doesn't cook though, I would rather go away somewhere so it doesn't all fall to me. At least with my mum's side we all muck in. That said my mum has asked me to think about it.

YABU - I should spend it with him this year
YANBU - I should tell my dad I'm spending Christmas with the other side but I'll see him when I get back

OP posts:
LoisLaneKent · 22/05/2026 16:30

@LlynTegid No it isn't unfortunately - one side lives in one end of the UK and the other the opposite! Will be flying but still not practical.

OP posts:
Duvetdayneeded · 22/05/2026 16:30

What about your partners family?

LlynTegid · 22/05/2026 16:29

You don't indicate if it is practical to say have Christmas Day with one parent and Boxing Day the other. Which would reduce the time with your dad given his unpleasant reaction last year, and enable you to be with cousins. Having new or extra guests on Boxing day can work out in a positive way I think.

LoisLaneKent · 22/05/2026 16:26

Grammarninja · 22/05/2026 14:39

Feel your dad out on the situation and see how he feels with loads of advance warning. Maybe you could do a christmas weekend with him the weekend before..?

I thought about offering the alternative weekend the week before but it's a real pain. I usually reserve the weekend before to see friends and it's moments like this I hate having divorced parents. But may have to.

The thing is, there's no way to feel him out without sounding like 1) I don't want to spend it with him and 2) I want him to give me a sort of permission to go and spend it with the other side, is there? He played a real victim card last December so I don't see him being reasonable about it but I don't know.

OP posts:
Grammarninja · 22/05/2026 14:39

Feel your dad out on the situation and see how he feels with loads of advance warning. Maybe you could do a christmas weekend with him the weekend before..?

Swipe left for the next trending thread