Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

to feel lonely every Christmas?

31 replies

FigRolls · 16/11/2013 14:27

I have no family at all. I have a 6 year old from my previous marriage who spends Christmas with her father and his big family whom I loved spending Christmas with. I have a 17 month old now with dh but dh generally works Christmas. His family are nice but an hour away and dh needs the car for work/likes to see dd and I in the evenings. Aibu to feel lonely every Christmas? We'll have our celebration early before 6 yr old dd goes but then being alone for the actual days always feels like an anti climax. It may get easier as 17 month old gets older but it feels wrong that my happiness is then depending on her.

OP posts:
Vix1980 · 17/11/2013 08:04

YANBU at all to feel Lonely at christmas time, but as you keep on insisting your dd must go to her dads to see his family then i think your half to blame if im honest. No way would i let ds go to his dads every single christmas if we were to split up. I dont know many people who would allow that to be honest.

You say you have no close family and dh works, fair enough, but you have 2 children now. Christmas makes me happier when i focus on the children in our family which is what its all about, giving them a lovely day gets me through it. Wouldnt you love to wake up on christmas morning and see your 2 children playing together with their toys. Have you thought about the fact your dd will grow up having no memories of her christmases with you. That would be unbearable for me.

I dont mean to come across as harsh op, i really dont, i just want to drum it into you that your ex is being really unfair to have every single christmas with your dd, maybe he has new faily and kids whatever, your still her mum. He can always see her at new year and if that doesnt fit in with his new families plans then tough!!! Your in her life so stand up for yourself, tell him he can have her next year as you'd like to have your own family christmas with your dh and her sibling and this is how its going to be from now on. I was brought up by divorced parents, they swapped every year. If id of only had xmas with 1 id feel a resentful to that parent if im honest for not sharing me.

All my single parent friends do this, 1 will have kids at christmas, 1 will have them at new year, ten they swap next year, nobody misses out. If you dont do this now then this is how it will be for years to come, imagine in 10 years still feeling this way and never having spent a christmas day with your own daughter. As someone else said upthread no court in the land would agree to that, and im sorry but it baffles me that you think its ok?? Please op start making you own christmas with your children, give them some lovely memories of you!

middleclassdystopia · 17/11/2013 08:26

I don't think it's fair on your older dd that every xmas is without you or younger sibling.

dollywashers · 17/11/2013 09:00

Yanbu but I had the same vision of a massive Christmas and the one time I had 12 people here for Christmas lunch it was utter hell. Was stressed to death about the food, didn't have any time to spend with my babies and didn't even have time to make myself look half decent. Photos from that year are awful of me. I think how you imagine these things and how they actually pan out are very different. We have a quiet Christmas Day now and it suits us much better.
Could you arrange to meet up with friends on Christmas Eve or Boxing Day?

OhMerGerd · 17/11/2013 10:04

Not surprised you're feeling 'lonely' .. Or Low-nly. You are mourning having a family Christmas ...on the day in real time with all the excitement of little ones and the buildibg of your own family rituals and traditions love.

It's not doing your DD any good either you know. Having a pre of post christmas with you means she is missing out too. not yo mention her sibling AND you. Every family's Christmas is different. Some are huge family affairs with lots of traditions and noise. Others are small, quiet affairs but also with lots of traditions and fun.

Your DD will not be missing anything if she alternates. She will have more! Wonderful memories of Christmas with her dads family and wonderful memories of Christmas with you her little brother and this family.

Make this the last year this happens.

Your DP does he have to work every year? It's rare even for chefs Doctor's nurses etc to be on shift every year.

Make next year YOUR year. Ok so there are not loads of people around on the day but you can start your own little rituals.... Because remember your ex's big family Christmas will have started out with maybe one couple and their dc ... The rest have added on over the years ... In four or five or ten or fifteen you too will have a houseful ... And they will all be ... (Insert whatever you want your Christmas Day to include here) ... :)

Have a super day with your little one this year. Start planning next year and practice some of the fun with him!

Pollywallywinkles · 17/11/2013 10:25

I agree with OhMerGerd.

Alternative Christmases is a must. The current arrangements are unfair to all of you including your DD and her sibling.

Your happiness starts with you and not your youngest, so that is your starting point. Decide what you want out of Christmas and make your plans. Focus on what you have, not what you think you are missing out on. Big family Christmases can be hell for some people.

Go to church, go for a walk, invite friends over for a quick drink and nibbles, pop over to see elderly neighbours etc. There is a whole host of things you can do to start to make things a little more special and for you to focus on rather than feeling lonely.

Aussiemum78 · 17/11/2013 10:26

Can't you organise dd to go to her dads on Christmas day after she has woken, opened her presents and had breakfast with you? And maybe dh could try and start work later so you could all spend the morning together?

Or you could visit your in laws and dh join you after work in the evening?
It's an hour away...that's not too bad.

What work does dh do? Is it possible to do early or late shift so part of the day is with you?

New posts on this thread. Refresh page