Grayfords’ top Christmas Tips for separated and blended families
It seems like the build up to Christmas gets longer and bigger every year. And with that comes more and more pressure to have the perfect family day, with mum and dad, two children and the dog gathered round a large tree twinkling with lights and baubles. But for the modern family in the UK this is no longer a recognizable picture.
If you’re a separated or single parent or a blended family then Christmas can have an added layer of stress in that you also have to plan who is staying where, what they need to take and so on.
With that in mind, we’ve put together our top tips for separated and blended families over the festive season
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Plan ahead. Christmas is approaching so if you haven’t sorted out your child contact arrangements then do so now. If you have a court order then have another read over it to remind yourself what the arrangement are. If you have a family-based arrangement between yourselves then talk it over sooner rather than later. Bear in mind that child maintenance may have to be adjusted to take account of a difference to overnight stay patterns.
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If the children are spending Christmas with their other parent it’s ok to let them know you’ll miss them but don’t make them feel bad about going.
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Remember it’s a stressful time for children. Christmas is a magical, exciting time for children but remember that it also brings a great deal of disruption to the routines they are used to.
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Take some ‘me’ time. If you don’t have the kids for Christmas then make sure you indulge yourself with some top quality food and drink (no Fruit Shoots and fish fingers for mum or dad today!), have a bath and watch some classic films. And remember: two Christmases are better than one so you can do it all again with the children in a couple of days!
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But most of all, whatever you do, enjoy it! The festive season comes but once a year so make the most of the festive cheer, Christmas markets and bad jumpers.