Being a single parent at Christmas is...

[ProtectiveMother]

Share with us all why you hate or love being a lone parent at Christmas!!!

I'm ambivalent... I love it because I don't have to put up with my ex. My last year was our first one just us 3 so I'm a novice. I won't pretend I want to be single forever but for now... What are your loves and hates? I'd love to hear!

rainbowfeet I was buying something yesterday and the woman in the shop asked "shall i gift wrap this for you?" and I said "no! from me, to me " and she laughed. It's the kind of thing I wouldn't have done when I was with a negative blaming abusive man.

letzygons I am not immune to occasionally feeling like I could do with adult company and affection but Christmas no longer highlights that feeling.

I do agree with the posters saying that they/we can get up/do what we like/when we like/chillax/pj day etc etc, that's the advantage,

DC and me just doin our thing with no pressure from or for anyone else.

its just the thing as another poster said when DC goes to bed and its just you alone in the living room/bedroom that you just wish.......

I don't know if this is 100% healthy either but I no longer feel that there should be somebody 'with' me in the house. I like people and chatting and socialising and I go to people's houses, but for me now, the thought of having another adult in the house all the time, it seems quite hard to imagine.

I think when I had only recently left my x, Christmas used to exacerbate feelings of awkwardness wrt being single, but I've so adjusted to the being single thing now............. Christmas, Hallowe'en, Tuesday afternoon, what's the difference.

This is our first Xmas alone, DD and I are off to my parents. Hopefully it will be good but it can't get much worse than the last couple of years with a miserable control freak who said he preferred being at work!

So many great posts on this thread. So many that resonate with me so much I could have almost written them myself and so many wise words about this tricky period (for some of us.) Keep up the good work Mnetters! :-D