Lone Parent at Christmas?: 5 Tips to Help You Navigate (and Enjoy) the Season
Having a young family presents challenges of its own - but as a lone parent at Christmas, the 'Most Wonderful Time of the Year' can feel especially daunting.
Christmas can be a lot of fun for families. It’s a great chance to spend time together, enjoy some little luxuries and show each other how much you care. However, if you are not part of a couple, there may be moments when you feel the extra weight upon your shoulders – both financially and emotionally.
As parents, we can sometimes spread ourselves too thinly during the month of December - and even more so if we are acting as both Mum and Dad. This is especially true if this is your first Christmas without your partner.
Budgeting, spending quality time, or making arrangements with your child’s other parent; even coping with having to be apart from your children over the holiday period are all key contributors to heightened anxiety and feelings of overwhelm.
We asked some of the parents from our REDDI community to share their advice on how to enjoy the season to its fullest when you're single. Here are their top five tips.
1. Be open with family and friends
At Christmas, many people make assumptions based on their own traditions or how they personally feel that 'The perfect Christmas' should look. Whatever you do, make sure that you don't feel pressurised to meet the demands of others, if that's likely to have a negative impact on your mental health and wellbeing.
If you don't want to be part of a large family gathering this year, or spend the holidays with an ex - or indeed, just around those people who make you feel uncomfortable - then that's absolutely fine. But do try to be honest about what you and your family need in advance, so that the expectations of others can be managed with kindness.
It's understandable if you would prefer to spend Christmas alone with your child or children, and equally, many people would rather be in the company of others. But try not to leave confirming your plans until the last minute.