What are your lone parent christmases like?

[lovelivelife]

I'm mum to dd age 2.5. Father has very little input and lives in a different city so he won't be about. I've always gone to my parents' on Christmas but my sister and I have had a falling out so I won't be going this year :( I'm looking forward to Christmas day as I know dd will be very excited but I'm also dreading it a bit as I think I will feel lonely for quite a bit of it. Any tips for keeping the blues at bay?

Hi!

Honestly I know how you feel! I don't have family either and would love my ex to live in a different city. Would be bliss for me. I was dreading last Christmas as first Christmas just me and my 2 kids but I can honestly say I had the NICEST CHRISTMAS I'VE EVER HAD! The kids did too. I even made a really delicious Christmas dinner for the first time by myself. Stuffing, pudding for dessert, the whole works. The day passed quickly and I called my friend in mainland Europe on Christmas night. Very relaxed and simple :-)

Going for a walk or bike in nature, making things, playing board games, visiting friends or even better for me- inviting friends over, watching films also good options...

Otherwise you could make up with your sister if that was an appealing option. Can't say trying to make things work with my 'family' has ever been successful but all families are different.

DD 5, the dog and I spent Christmas Day on our own last year. It was absolutely WONDERFUL. Father Christmas came, we played, I drank bucks fizz, we had a huge beautifully cooked Christmas dinner that we ate when it was ready, no pressure, we went for a walk, played some more, I drank some more and then watched tv curled up in front of the fire, full to bursting.

It was honestly one of my best Christmas days ever.

FlatCap..that does indeed sound wonderful

Thanks Lego, it was, we both had such a lovely day. What I'm saying is, don't dread it Love, make it special and it will be, I assure you.

I have done Christmas day just DS and me for the last 4 years..I love it...We have no pressure ...do what we want...We don't have turkey as it is too big but do have a big dinner thing..We have all sorts of our own traidtions like we make a ginvegerbread house every year and that is our breakfast ( although not all of it).

We play games, have a real family day that is based around my son having a great day. A friend of mine LP..takes her daughter to pantomime every year...Do the things that make it special for you

I know how you feel I dread Xmas every year! But I spend it with my mum and her partner it's ok but can be abit boring!

The other part of my family have Christmas together, so that's my sister with her husband and dc and my dad and my brother.

I have never had a Christmas on my own but I agree with what the others say, so exactly what you and your dd want

Hope it's a wonderful day for you both.

Last year was my first Xmas as a single parent.

I had planned All year to sown it with my best friend and her partner and dd. two days before Xmas it turned out the a single parent friends family had let her down and on a whim I said "of course your welcome with us, there will be goose!"

It was great and is my new policy.

So this year I invited a different single parent friend who is not native to this country as I suspected she may not have any one to spend Xmas with and she burst into tears!

Just a thought

I'd also say Christmas alone is a lot less pressure! If you are worried about too much time on your hands you can always go out for a walk with the kids to freshen up. Kids usually love playing with their hoards and watching whatever films are on TV while eating far too much and sprawling about in their PJ's in my experience. Just do whatever keeps you happy and not stressed. Kids won't care if everything is frozen, but it may save you from slaving over a stove for 3 hours, meaning you can enjoy the day more.
Have a lovely time, and don't forget to wrap yourself some presents so you can join in in the paper tearing by the tree!

This will be my first. Thankfully I'll have DD all over x-mas as her mother is away with her NM for 2 weeks, taking in the new year. I'm actually looking forward to it and hoping we have a fabulous day. On boxing-day we'll travel to family for a couple of days so I might even get to have a glass of port.

im going to a friends house because she said that no friend was sitting at home on thier own at Christmas

Firstly I admit to myself that yes, Christmas on my own with two young children is different.
My 6 and 4 year old have never had a Christmas with their father anyway, I left when my youngest was 4 weeks old and he only sporadically lived with us for a few weeks or months at a time and for some reason never stayed for Christmases.

We just wake up, head downstairs to open presents, tele on for the kid's films, theyve never known any different to it being just me and them so theyre not missing out on the traditional nuclear family thing that was my own childhood experience.

I admit I wish it was a traditional family set up, it feels like something's missing not having a man about in the festive snaps and you can't beat that cosy feeling of having someone to gad about in the kitchen with, pottering around, making dinner, drinking, laughing, together.

I miss the mild raucousness of big family get togethers even the arguing, the dinner making stress, but then we get to visit Mum's on Boxing Day and it's there a-plenty!

For some unlucky people there won't be Christmas this year

Sad-l but true to the bone

who cares anyway
Just a life really
And a life is cruel

The arguing and dinner making stress- how can you miss that? ;-)

Yeah I suppose if its only small arguments. Christmas in my house growing up was actual hell.

True though that I would like a nice partner sooner or later ;-)