Can you maintain any holiday traditions when kids have grown?

Parent Cafe
41

It just isn’t the same. But I certainly do not begrudge that my kids have lives that may mean they are not with H and I for any holiday. But Christmas used to be my favorite time of the year for all of my life until recently. My parents are gone, the kids have grown, extended family live far apart and find it difficult to get together.

So I have to adapt to change and start new traditions. That might just be H and spending the holiday someplace warm in an all inclusive being pampered! ( We do not have grandchildren.)

42

@morrismm I think that is a great idea! Also, if you invite the kids, they may come with you on the Caribbean vacation !

43

I like the Caribbean vacation idea – or anything that is completely different from the kind of Christmas that was traditional for you. That may be easier than just modifying traditions.

A work colleague of mine, who is single and not on close terms with her family, gets together on Christmas Day with several similarly unattached friends for “Jewish Christmas” – meaning that they eat at a Chinese or Indian restaurant and go to one of the blockbuster or award-bait movies that are released at this time of year. It’s a fun day, and it doesn’t remind them of more traditional holidays of their past.

44

The addition of husbands for our Ds has really made it difficult to maintain many holiday traditions.

45

So far, our tradition has expanded to cleaning our kids rooms, washing bedding, picking our adult kids up at the airport, last minute shopping with them, Christmas Eve at my sister’s (which we’ve done for decades), opening gifts at home on Christmas Day and then Christmas dinner with family friends we’ve celebrated with their clan for many years now.

I’m sure at some point it will change but glad it hasn’t so far! The kids fly in from CA and VA and stay as long as they’re able. For S it’s a week or two. For D it’s often a month or two.

46

its been 6 years that my son spends winter vacation with his g/f’s family. This is the new normal. This year, they are meeting where their son lives. I think it is nice for my son to be in a different part of the country.

I just wish he had told me before today. I sent a basket of cookies and brownies to the parents home, as a surprise. I texted him to tell the Mom, as hopefully a neighbor will bring the package inside. OY, sons.