10 tips to keep the Christmas spirit alive as a blended family
Because Christmas is more than a party, it's a state of mind...
1. Organize things well
The children of your new partner plus your own may make for an impressive team. So, everyone can celebrate together without having to rent a hotel, things have to be organized well in advance. The 24th on mom's side, and Christmas day with dad's side, or vice versa. Many solutions exist and, in the end, the date really doesn't matter. The main thing is to be with those you love.
2. Prepare things together
If everyone gets involved, then everyone finds their place. Decorating the tree, the house, or setting the table can be transformed into complicit moments. By setting up the lights or laying out the cutlery, the participants bond and make memories together. It is all together that we reinvent Christmas!
3. Secret Santa
Here is another way to create a link, but this time it’ll be more personalized. At the beginning of the month, you could organize a draw between all the guests. The lucky person whose name you draw will win a gift specially chosen for them. This original ritual allows us to get closer and to discover more about people’s tastes and interests.
Tip:
If you lack time or means, you can also leave sweet words under the tree, Christmas being a celebration of love and all. Such an exercise will force us to identify some qualities in our step kids, with whom we share nothing.
4. Preparing the Christmas play-list
For a successful atmosphere, don’t forget to give Mariah Carey a call. Her festive melodies bring us all together and could even get us all up dancing. It can therefore be a vector and plunge us back into beautiful memories of the past too...
5. Bring out your best Christmas sweater
If getting dressed up on New Year's Eve develops self-confidence, wearing a Christmas sweater helps create a relaxed atmosphere. All dressed up in our most ridiculous clothes, we have little chance of taking ourselves too seriously and will be ready to have lots of fun.
6. Planning activities
Why not plan board games, mimes or role-playing games that bring everyone closer together?
7. Make surprise stockings
The Christmas spirit is also about sharing. You could welcome each of your guests with a small symbolic gift... and why not even some candy?
8. Don't differentiate between the children
The rivalry between children, and sometimes adults, is all the more obvious in a stepfamily. As humans, we naturally compare ourselves to others and judge them easily. To avoid jealousy, it is better to give gifts with an equal price tag.
9. Avoid inflammatory subjects
To keep the atmosphere light, let's avoid evoking the past, for example. Everything may seem cordial at first, but no one is safe from a slip up after a few drinks. With everyone gathered together, settling scores is not a good idea.
10. Stay together
To show your new family that the foundations are solid, new couples should do as much as possible together. The race for presents, the preparation of the meal... Being and appearing solid is the best way to spread love all by yourself.
Editor’s opinion – It’s best to reinvent a Christmas somewhere else than to persistIn our customs, Christmas with family is almost an obligatory event, but when the clan no longer gets on, the tradition sometimes turns into an obligation. Instead of bringing individuals together, it distances them, rekindling the tensions of the past. More and more people no longer celebrate Christmas as they used to, but the family spirit remains intact. Experts agree that it’s best to avoid any forced meetings, and it is in the best interest of everyone to create a peaceful atmosphere. It is therefore useless to persist in making the family of "before" exist when it is disunited. What is important for children is the possibility of building themselves up with responsible and loving adults, whether they are their parents or not. 🤗 Understand yourself, accept yourself, be happy... Let’s do it here and now! #BornToBeMe |
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