Back to the Christmas Season and how it affects a blended family. This is how it affects any family, but blended families tend to be a little more sensitive or touchy. There's a lot more to consider than just the immediate core family. If you're into giving gifts to everyone, you're really in a state of flux this time of year! Even trying to figure out how to get the kids to visit both families gets to be stressful.
All we can do at this time of year is just try and work out a fair exchange of time for the children who have two families to visit. Be aware that there is usually some crabbiness amongst the children from all the running, seeing relatives they haven't seen forever, eating too much junk, getting too many gifts, mostly things they don't want but hopefully the parents have taught them to act like they're thrilled anyway -- and lots of stress with the adults from all the running and picking up or exchanging children while at the same time maintaining their home base and holiday entertaining there. See, if you did away with all the presents -- you'd have time for the PRESENCE.
Christmastime is a time of year when everyone seems to be rushing around trying to find something, trying to hurry, frustrated about spending money, frustrated about not having enough money to spend - rush rush rush! Why can't we slow down a little and have some old fashioned Christmas spirit sans the gifts? There's enough stress today, enough fear, enough hate, enough people who have lost their jobs or lives because of terrorism! Why don't we just have a spiritual Christmas this year? Why don't we just thank God or whichever god, holy, Yaweh, the Great Spirit, Buddah, The Light, or other spiritual leader you follow for what we have and not go grabbing for lots of unneeded gifts that are just a habitual purchase and expected? Sure, we don't want to disappoint the little ones. They need to experience Christmas in the way we grew up, especially the ones who still believe in Santa Claus and his yearly trek around the globe delivering presents to GOOD little boys and girls. Isn't that a hoot? How many kids today would get lumps of coal from Santa if this was true? (Evil grin)
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