Written by Suni Crane
The holiday season can be a tough time to keep everyone happy. It’s wonderful getting to spend quality time with loved ones, but splitting your time can be a real kicker.
Are you and your partner spending the holidays together for the first time? Or the 10th time? Either way, it can be very difficult to split your time between each other's families. Not to mention having a large family or two sets of parental homes to visit.
I wish we could give you a simple answer to solve all these problems, but we’re not miracle workers. What we can do is provide a few helpful tips that may make your lives a bit easier this season.
Have a Real Talk.
Talk about your values and traditions. If one partner’s family celebrates one holiday more than they do the other, then boom, you’ve got your answer. This is a one-in-a-million chance, but if you score this kind of balance…we’re jealous! Communication is always key. 🔑
Create a Plan.
Maybe it’s a pretty even split of which families value certain holidays, so a great way to evenly divide your time is by alternating each year. This is something that has worked tremendously well for my partner and I. We spend Thanksgiving with his family and Christmas with mine, then the following year, we spend Thanksgiving with mine and Christmas with his.
Go Above & Beyond.
The holiday season is so overwhelming, but isn’t that part of the fun?! Shopping tirelessly for the perfect gifts, traveling non-stop to visit families or even exhaustively cooking extravagant meals. If you want to go above and beyond, visit one family for Christmas Eve and one for Christmas Day. (& this goes for all holidays with an “eve”) Unfortunately for some, this can really only be achieved if your families live within a driving distance.
Take a Trip!
If you are lucky enough to have you and your partner’s families become friends, take a trip! This is a rare opportunity, but it could be the best trip to go down in your families’ history. Having everyone under one roof can bring your families closer together while also keeping everyone happy! The more, the merrier is the motto, am I right?! ⛱
Set Boundaries.
If all else fails and it’s seemingly impossible to keep everyone happy…it might be time to talk it out. The holiday season is about showing love and celebrating your values, so if a family member is getting in the way of that, you’ll likely have to sit down and set some boundaries.
Refrain from letting the stress of dividing time come between you and your partner; handling the holidays as a unified team is the best way to go. At the end of the day, what’s most important is protecting your peace & happiness. Hopefully, everyone will be a team player, so one of these five steps can bring you to a happy, balanced holiday season!
Wishing you a very happy holidays – The Togeth3r Team 🤍🌱
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