How to make Xmas special - single parent

[Itsnotchristmasyet]

If you live alone or are a single parent, how do you make it special?

It’s just me and my DD and we’ve had an awful year, so I want to make it special but I don’t know how to do that when it’s just the 2 of us.

My DD is 15 and so doesn’t believe in Father Christmas and so I can’t make it magical that way.

A nice breakfast of things she enjoys.
Stay in jammies and prepare lunch together. Don't over do it just a nice meal for ghe two of you.
Watch a Christmas movie together with chocolates.
Go for a walk if the weather's nice.
Basically find things she likes to.do and do them together. If she likes clothes you can both dress up for Christmas Dinner.
Make the day about her, things she enjoys in the company of her mum.

Can you afford to go out to a nice restaurant for Christmas Lunch?

Does she enjoy cooking - how about making chocolate reindeers, decorating gingerbread houses etc, chocolate truffles, reindeer faces etc.

How about a movie and pamper evening - face mask, hand and feet mask ( can get at Poundland) popcorn and duvet

Some great ideas thanks!

I’ll definitely do some cooking together and watch Christmas movies with chocolates and face masks!

I’ve never thought about going out for Christmas dinner tbh.
I will see where does it around me and how much etc and have a think about it.

I have teen DC similar age to yours and bought Golden ticket and chocolate bar wrappers to go around/within a Galaxy bar, just for the novelty of it. It will go in their stockings with other snack stuff to watch a Christmas movie with. It's more for me than them but I know my youngest will like the nostalgia of it (he loved Polar Express.)

One of my DC loves novelty Christmas stuff, still uses the Christmas mug I bought over 10 years ago and insists on a small fibre optic tree in his room. If your daughter would like that, there's often some going super cheap from Argos etc... Late November time, I think.

I bought some gold cutlery in the Dunelm sale last year that we'll only ever use in December. We have 'December only' glassware too, from IKEA. I've just got some dinner plates with Christmas trees on from Home Bargains (£2.50 each) that will become December only plates too 🤣 etc etc.

I'm not a single parent anymore (though DH works away) but I want my DC to remember December was when we got all the posh/fun things to use. They'll forget the gifts but they'll remember the theatrics of Christmas taking over the usual mundane household stuff.

I also use Christmas scented oils. When the DC come back from school, the house smells lovely. I think it can just be small things that can make things special, doesn't need to be ott fabulousness. Dunelm have some really fluffy, cosy blankets in ATM. There's a seller on eBay that sells genuine Oodies for £15ish too. Every year my DC get something cosy left in their rooms and some chocolate/sweets on top. It's nothing significant but coming in from the cold to a nice surprise of something cosy feels nice imo.

Christmas gingerbread house competition and both get really creative? Or work on one together?

Do something she enjoyed from her childhood together?

Getting out for a walk and seeing all the Christmas lights.

A Christmas church service or midnight mass (not being pious, I just find carols and being around other people makes me feel all festive). A christingle service can be lovely and very much welcomes non church goers.

Also Christmassy activities like Ice skating or a Christmas market, they might not be on Christmas day but help make the season special. I always think it's not just about the day

You could do a pamper day on Christmas Eve and then go out for your Christmas Dinner the next day, like you say see where does it near you and look at the menus for this year and check the reviews from last year.
We have a small and ageing family and have been out about 3 or 4 times for it. It is expensive but its a lovely atmosphere, gives you an excuse to dress up a bit, and no washing up afterwards!
You could treat her to a special new dress and makeup for it if she is into that.
Hope you have a lovely time :)

A pamper on Christmas Eve with a Xmas movie, nice snacks and maybe a (weak) Buck’s Fizz or you could make a mocktail together?

A lazy Christmas Day with a nice breakfast, maybe a walk in the afternoon and then a board game or another movie?

Time with you will make it special.

Single parent here with 2 teen DD’s, we will be spending Christmas Day alone, to be honest my DD’s just like a low key relaxing day eating what they want and enjoying opening gifts. Expectations are pretty low. We do things in the run up to Christmas, go and see some Christmas lights, go to a Christmas market and a few other things but Christmas Day is just a chilled relaxing day. We usually get a take away Christmas Eve but this year they will be at their dads all day (I have them Christmas day and Boxing Day), Boxing Day we often go to the coast for a walk.

All of this sounds wonderful. My mum was a single parent - I did have a big sister and sometimes we spent Xmas with family, but I remember being at home just the three of us and loved it.

The chocolates would be open at breakfast, dinner would be prepared mid morning/early afternoon. I used to help cook and set the table. I was an 80’s baby and remember scooping out the avocado to put the prawn Marie Rose inside 😂 I remember my mums table linen that was like net curtains! We always went for a walk at some point in the afternoon before dinner.

Just being together and doing these relaxed things will make it special OP.

In the run up … My DD is a year older and we’ve done things like Xmas crafts, different coloured card and make snowman/Santa/pressies etc. The sillier the better. Walks in the early eve to look at decorations and then get a fancy hot choc out or one on the way home.

Xmas morning. Nice breakfast in bed and open just one pressie each. Some food prep together. Glass of Bucks Fizz and then Xmas music on whilst opening pressies. Dinner of her choice? Traditional or lots of pigs in blankets. Then a board game/ movie/ Xmas quiz ?

Single parent to a teen .

Don’t do the lunch out Christmas Day … Nothing worse than a restaurant filled with big families to remind you it’s just the two of you .

we have always had Christmas Eve as our day .. We have done alsorts - theatre , roller skating cinema , ice skating something fun .

My DD is 33 but when she was little and i was a single parent (up to when she was 12). I used to buy new xmas pyjamas and dressing gowns for both of us to wear xmas eve..we would have a bath..get in new nightclothes..id make a buffet just for us and we would carpet picnic 😊..i lit candles, had cosy lamps on and we would watch xmas films until her bed time. Xmas day, honestly, just playing with her with her toys, it took her hours to open them anyway, she was an only child so was spoilt. We would have xmas dinner and just stay in pyjamas all day 😊. She loved it and has never forgotten and does all this with her children now. Boxing day, i used to make a salad and black forest trifle for afterwards and go for a walk...with her bike or pram... whatever outside present she had. Day after boxing day, any money she received we would go shopping and lunch out

Chocolate croissants or smoked salmon & scrambled eggs for breakfast.

My teen sleeps like the dead, so I decorate his room while he's asleep. He wakes up to fairy lights and Christmas cushions & xmas tree. I've never managed to change his duvet while he's asleep but there's always a first time. 😀

Plan a walk in the afternoon, with another family locally just to get some air and then back for special meal and a xmas movie. Can you cook together? We have a log burner, so log fire after a cold walk. And the best nibbles to eat all evening.

Go for a walk in the dark and admire the neighbours Christmas lights.
Go for a chilly walk with a nice view and share a flask of hot chocolate.
Play board games.
Make a gingerbread house with Christmas music in the background.
Make paper chains and thread popcorn for the tree.

Op what's your budget?

Having something to do may help?
On Xmas eve can you go to any shows or panto (smaller theatres are far cheaper than main ones).

Have different music and lighting Xmas day, maybe try usually food along with firm favourites.. Eg we have beer tried lobster and lidl do special xmassy lobster tail

For boxing day could you go and look at Xmas lights somewhere, one of these light trails and have afternoon tea or lunch out....

I was going to suggest the op goes out for lunch. I actually think those with big families are more likely to stay at home...we went out for Christmas lunch once and there were no huge families... mainly couples or just small groups. Or even if you don't go out for lunch op, lots of pubs are open so you could have a long walk after lunch at home and then pop in to one.

She has the love of a fabulous mother, and you have each other. Use the Christmas to down tools as celebrate that. Let her see you loose and carefree, breaking some rules and showing her how to have fun. Our kids don't see that aspect of us enough and as she's getting older, let your hair down and do what you both want to do.

Get her involved, she might surprise you.

I usually go to my mums (eldest son is there too) but my son got a puppy in august and my dog hates puppies so it’s Christmas at home this year. First one in my flat and I’m decorating it with lots of window lights and can’t wait to get the tree up. My son will be home from Uni and whilst his main residence is his dads as I could only afford a 2 bed flat, he will no doubt stay at mine most of the holidays like the summer (dads moved in a new woman and her teen son) so I’ll take the sofa bed. I’ve invited my friend over and her dog, she normally goes to her daughter but she’s got other plans. So going to make a big fat roast and might get some adult (youngest is 15) party games to play. I think they will enjoy it. Their dad doesn’t celebrate due to his religion though sure he will want to see the kids as he doesn’t usually as I always take them to my families.