Lone parents - what are your plans for Christmas day?

[SmugColditz]

My mum and sister were coming up for dinner, and now are not.

I have the ex coming up for Christmas dinner but TBH he isn't a big eater, and I don't really want to go to the effore of cooking a leg of lamb for 1 greedy guts and three pickers who would eat rat poison if there was chocolate mousse for afters.

So, what is everyone else doing?

Is anyone alone with the kids?

At the moment i'm not sure apart from that i will have DD1 and DD2 with me because their dad only gets once a month supervised contact.

Not sure what xp1 wants to do about having DS1 and DS2. Last year he had them from 2pm until 5pm boxing day.

I will still cook some sort of Christmas dinner for us.

Will be just me and the kids for the whole Christmas period. My parents and brother live in Turkey and my other sister and brother who live very nearby don't seem to want to know me!

Oh sweetheart! And here's me moaning!

My dc are at their dad's from Christmas eve afternoon until Boxing Day afternoon. I've opted to work the night duties for both days.

It'll be first xmas since h buggered off. Bit worried about it...but don't want to stay with closest friends as they are all too far away if it gets too much and I want to run home and hide. So think it will just be me and ds m (11 months) here at home all the way. Am not in contact with my family and h's family have disappeared up their own backsides and are not in contacft with me at all since h left.

Xmas morning: wakw up ds and watch him stare bewildered at his stocking, then suck on it and throw it out of his cot. Go downstairs, put xmas hymns on the ipod, light the s/room fire, have a cocktail at about 10am, poach some salmon instead of usual xmas dinner with all trimmings/crackers/step-daughters (who would have been with us this year) and xh doing the carving/gravy etc bollox.

Will maybe get some neighbours round for the cocktail bit (but they prob won't want to come to newly single saddo mum ha ha)

Then going to give ds his presents to not understand or know how to open, watch telly, go to mate's house who has extended family and just blur in with them for a bit then come home, try not to wail...boxing day is h's birthday so will make a custard tart and lob it at specially positioned photo of him on fridge, then get on with day as usual cocktail about 10am, light the fire...

just BLOODY GET THROUGH IT DAMN CHRISTMAS!!

...it will be the four urchins and myself for the vast majority of the day.

We will be expected to trail to an aunt's house (where my elderly and ill mother spends xmas) for an hour in the evening. Perfectly timed to miss Doctor Who, usually.....

Was considering taking 'em out for lunch, but as the only local eaterie with available space is a Harvester have decided against...

(have you ever been to a Harvester before?? Yes I fucking have, and I am not in a hurry to return....!)

Haven't a clue what will happen yet. I will have boys with me Christmas morning & will probably go round my parents house with them, as we do every year. Not sure what will happen with ex H though. I am guessing my parents will invite him round too as he is still very much seen as part of the family. He hasn't told me what his Christmas plans are yet, so don't know when he wants the boys.

brightwell I wouldn't be able to cope with that.

unlikelyamazonian Just another day to little ones isn't it. Not much fun for you though. Look forward to next year.

It's not so bad, I'll be asleep Christmas Day, and when they come home we'll have our presents together and because I won't be cooking we can sit and play with the presents all afternoon and eat chocolate.

My sister is coming up and I am cooking the Turkey then taking it round to my Dads as he doesnt want to cook it. She is doing lighterlife so wont be eating it but her dh can eat enough for three. The kids will play we will watch Dr who and go home I expect!

I am thinking of going for a run in the morning but not sure I will fit it in.

This is my second year doing Christmas as a single parent, but I love it. I've always been a bit of a Christmas nut and totally get into the whole thing. Money is a bit tight this year, but that doesn't worry me too much as money's always been tight to be honest, and you get used to working round it.

Alas, I won't have family around. My parents are both long dead (we always had great family Christmases) and I only have a collection of ageing aunties who live far away. My sister is in another country, but I'll be seeing her in January, yay!!! So this year, I'm having another LP and her daughter round for dinner. I usually invite someone - the more the merrier. My kids dad may come along as well (depends on whether he gets an offer from his current GF I think, but I always overcook so makes no odds whether he lets me know in advance or not).

This year is going to be great. Last year the twins were only 11 months so didn't really know what it was all about, but this year they can open presents by themselves and can sit at the table and eat by themselves.

Roll on Christmas!

im off to my parents...an annual event anyway, even before Ds. Only this year XP is wanting to see Ds so we have agreed that he will see him boxing day, and he is now working XMas day so that he has something to do.plus hes not willing to travel 72 miles to see his son in my mums house... im not being awful but he has only been seeing DS for 4 months and we had made plans before then, if hes still here next year then he will be involved in planning.

Will be just ds and myelf this year thank goodness. After last years disaster at my parents house I never want to repeat that. Worst Christmas ever. Never going to spend it with people I don't want to be with who can't even be bothered to cook the food I brought for ds. I spent 15 mins in the kitchen getting ds something to eat while they sat around getting drunk and talking about the best way to comit suicide...

When my sister asked me if I was ok and I said 'no', she just walked off because she didn't want me to ruin her day.

My parents will be abroad. So I don't have to find excuses not to go round and visit this year.

My sister likes to spend xmas with her 'family', ie her husband and 2 kids. She thinks family time is important . They visit her husbands family on xmas eve and then have xmas on their own. So not expecting to see her at any point over xmas. She will no doubt need a babysitter at some point while she's working or to go out and party, but I'm going to say no this year.

Tbh I've given up putting myself out for her all the time when she doesn't reciprocate. So we've barely seen her or the children these past 6 months. It's a shame for the children, but I'm fed up for being taken for granted and her only babysitting for me if I have no choice but to work and no-one else is available.

We will have a great day with just us two, like we did the previous 4 years. We do what we want, when we want and how we want. We get to eat what we want for xmas dinner not what you're "supposed" to have. And we eat it when we like. We also get to have as many xmas crackers as we like, watch tv if we want to, and then we go to bed when we're tired.

My brother and 1 sister will probably phone to say thanks for their presents. But I don't expect to hear from my other brother or my other two sisters on the day.

Will probably invite myself to my friends on boxing day like I did last year. They don't stress, eat left overs and we sit around watching tv and playing games. Now that is how xmas should be!

And on New Years Eve we're going to the Panto. Makes a change from sitting in on my own all evening.

Being on your own and simply enjoying the day is far better than stressing over other people and what is expected. For me Christmas is about relaxing and enjoying the day. We will be doing that. And I'm used to being on my own by now.

First christmas without exp.... although the previous few I spent with him he ruined anyway. Gonna get up with the dc's at about 9, put some nice festive music on. exp is apparently coming over for a couple of hours for breakfast and present opening with the kids. Im going to make a nice breakfast. Maybe croissants or some scrambled eggs on toast. See if knob head ex would like some... I doubt it coz he is a miserable git. Open prezzies play for a bit. Have a few nibbles around lunchtime.... exp probs will have left by then.
Then at about 2 go to resteraunt to meet up with family for the usual christmas dinner filled with sarcy comments, arguments and general moaning.
Return home gets kids into bed and crack open the wine and be drunk and lonely!!! Woohoo!

Boxing day we will be going over to my foster parents house for a second christmas day. I will probs spend most of the day getting trollied there too.

I have been optimistic about christmas up untill now, I wanted to make it as special as possible for the kids even thoug they will only be 18 months and 6 months but in all honesty I think its going to be a horrible, depressing miserable time and in a way I could do without being reminded of how shit my life is. Depressing rant over, ask me tomorrow and im sure everything will be tickety boo!!!

OK - this year, I have the boys but we will repeat what we did last year. Get the tree the weekend before and decorate. Watch "Polar Express" a few times. Get up on 25th and open stockings; have breakfast and play (the wii - I don't know who will be happier: me or them?). So, Tortoise, come back and tell me the hits from last year's wii and how to make your table-cloth.

We'll go for a walk - on the beach if it's not raining and we can tear ourselves away from the new technology and then, it'll be wine o'clock, a scrummy meal (yet to be decided - I got loads of good ideas off here, last year and ended up doing five courses just for us 3 i.e. we ate all day!).

Take photos throughout the day; ring family and good friends and collapse in a heap; getting new toys to work is a real faff! I love Christmas.

xmas morning ds1 and i will watch ds2 open his pressies, and ds1 will get a card with some money(he is 19 so too old for pressies, and always asks for money) then we are all going to my folks for lunch, then ds1 will do his own thing and ds2 will go to his dads until boxing day, so i will go home open the baileys, eat nice things and watch crap on tv and have a peaceful night to myself

Then day after boxing day i am taking ds2 to my parents holiday house in the Lakes and will stay till new year, i hope it snows

Xmas Day at my house with DCs and my family, same as other years. Eat too much, watch tv, then they all go home. Boxing Day, we go to visit other relations, eat too much, watch tv, go home. Sometimes there are arguments, but I stay out of it, I'm usually scoffing the mince pies with too much double cream
Now my DCs are older, they can choose when they go to visit their dad, but they never go on xmas or boxing day, they usually go the day after, he doesn't buy them anything for their birthdays or xmas. He has ruined many of their xmas's and they haven't forgotten.

Same as my exh mashedup.
DD's dad is a Jehovahs witness so he doesn't bother helping out either.

It'll be the same as last year. Just me and the DD's. Opening presents and bucks fizz at stupid o clock in the morning. Put dinner on by 12. Me trollied by 3. Kids arguing by 4pm.

So go out for a walk. No bugger about and end up 'window watching' everyone elses parties and get togethers.

More wine, get kids to bed and get even more trollied. Xmas day isn't too bad, but Boxing day is the killer.

Billy no mates with no family. I am not looking forward to it all again this year.
The only positive thing put of christmas is to make up the bunk in the front room, with sofa cushions, pillows, quilts, blankets and bunk down and watch dvds with the fairy lights on. We stayed in there for 3 days - it was so cosy!

Well this is why I am looking forward to Xmas for a change - me and my boy are off to the Peak District Xmas barn trip that singlewithkids.co.uk has organised - I don't k now if it is too late to book for anybody but I am really looking forward to the change of scene and meeting new faces etc. it will be something a bit different!

I'll have my parents to stay over for Christmas day-not looking forward to airbed.

My ex was never keen on Christmas-he was either moaning that he couldn't hear the telly with the dcs running around,or he was asleep in the corner after drinking too much and stuffing himself!

I doubt ex will be over(thankfully)as he'll be going out on christmas eve with his mates(all chasing after their youth)!He will probably see the dcs the day before to drag round his gran's.

The only thing I dread about it is the loved-up couples and happy families I seem to see everywhere leading up to christmas,plus all the stuff about 'what will you be wearing to all the christmas parties you're invited to this year?'-reminding me that I will be in on my own.

I will compensate by snuggling up with a glass of baileys/wine and watching some nice christmassy films!

I will be on my own with the kids until about 10:30, when xp wil come round to give the kids their presents.

My mum will come round at about 11, after she has had a sleep after her night shift.

Then i think i will have at least 1 of my brothers coming for dinner, and possibly both of them, plus brothers gf (oh the joy ).

At the very least, it will be me, my mum and the kids.

Anything will be an improvement on last year.

reikimarie that sounds great fun.

My first christmas alone was awful but they have got better and better ever since. I dont miss my X one bit but I do miss doing things like stockings with someone else. Last year I went to a friends and it was great sneaking about in the middle of the night with someone else again.

My 1st xmas since dvorce. JOY!

My dad who is also on his own has invited me and DS to his over xmas eve and day. Taking ds to see ex on boxing day.

Me dad's doin all the cooking etc. At first didn't want to go, now i just think a change of scenery will be a good idea.Expenses minimised etc ( that sounded really selfish didn't mean it to)

My Ex also spent entired xmas wingeing and saying how much he hated it!

Kinda scary 1sts loomin, newyear , my bday he left two days later . God i HATE january.

Just booked to see john barrowman on my my bday with my ds, had to get my dad to reassure me that it was a good idea! HOW SAD AM I ? i am soo used !15 years of scrimpin and worrying about money, its a hard mindset to get out of.

Hopin 2009 is better than 2008

With you on that one tigerlili, can't wait for New Year's eve just to see this awful year out. Christmas me and dd will be going to my best friend's for the day and boxing day to another friend. NYE will be spent on our own through choice (well, mine, dd is only 16 mo), with lots of crappy party snacks and a bottle of cheap bubbly, once dd is asleep. Won't be forced to watch Jools Holland this year, so will make an attempt to watch the episodes of Lipstick Jungle I've sky plused and not watched (i.e. every single one).