How to divide the holiday visitation?
By hoseasmate
@hoseasmate (720)
United States
December 23, 2012 9:54am CST
Right now as a grandmother, I must choose which of my grandkids to spend the holidays with. They are too far away to both be in the same location for one day. It was a no brainer when their was only one daughter with a grandchild. I went there for each Christmas. However, with the addition of grandkids in my other child's family, I feel that I should alternate Christmas. Right now the schedule is Thanksgiving with one family and Christmas with the other and I alternate each year. I want to try something different so that I am with one on Christmas Eve and the other on Christmas Day, but I don't think we can do it logistically. Any suggestions?
2 people like this
5 responses
@nani4ajay (108)
• India
23 Dec 12
It's better to invite them to common place than all of you can have a happy christmas, missing loved ones on this holy makes us unhappy so gather at a place.
2 people like this
@hoseasmate (720)
• United States
24 Dec 12
I know, right? I wish that we could all be together in one place but that is not an option, unfortunately! This year was even made worse because of the fighting between my daughter's in-laws!
@ZoeJoy (1392)
• United States
26 Dec 12
You have to consider yourself as well. As a grandmother (and I am a grandmother age but just no grandchildren yet) you need to consider what you can manage.
A lot of families alternate between holidays. I don't see why not open Grandmother's Christmas gifts on Thanksgiving Day. You can start a new tradition for your family. Sometimes we didn't visit our mother's parents until Easter. My granny saved our Christmas gifts - all wrapped in Christmas wrapping paper until we could visit her for the holidays. A couple of years, it wasn't until Easter that we were able to travel to visit her as my Grandparents lived in a different city.
I remember being thrilled to still have a Christmas present that was waiting for me at Easter. It didn't matter to me as a child if I had another Christmas present to open several months after Christmas.
Alternating between Thanksgiving and Christmas sounds a lot less exhausting than trying to alternate between Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Children don't need to be stressed at Christmas, neither do the parents and nor does Grandma. Whatever makes Christmas enjoyable for your family is best.
1 person likes this
@hoseasmate (720)
• United States
27 Dec 12
Thanks for your response. I must say that I did have a very stress free Christmas and enjoyed myself and also relaxed. We got some snow, but not the big storm that was predicted. I'll not complain, though, because any snow for Christmas is fantastic!!
@dainy1313 (2370)
• Leon, Mexico
23 Dec 12
Hi hoseasmate I think that the best could be that you all meet in your house. That the way it´s in my country, meetings are in the grandmother houses. So complete family can be withh her, and fot the new year party we switch homes with the in laws. 
Blessing hoseasmate, and merrry Christmas... dainy
Blessing hoseasmate, and merrry Christmas... dainy1 person likes this
@hoseasmate (720)
• United States
24 Dec 12
I wish that were possible, but that would take both sets of grandkids away from their other side of grandparents that actually reside in the town with each set of kids. The problem is that the kids are too far away to make a central location meeting great. If I were wealthy, I would have us all meet for a vacation for that period of time and that way we would all be together!!
1 person likes this
@macdingolinger (10386)
• United States
23 Dec 12
It sounds like you had a pretty workable plan T-giving at one and Christmas with the other. Then every year you can rotate those. Or, having Eve with one and if they are close enough to do so - drive to the other child's house for Christmas Day. There are always ways to work out the things we need to do.. hope it all works out for you!
1 person likes this
@hoseasmate (720)
• United States
24 Dec 12
Yep it is only me so I plan on doing the traveling. I would never expect my children to haul their children around on the holidays like I did mine. I wouldn't wish that on anyone. I am glad that your travel plans all worked out...or didn't since you were grounded because of the storm coming in. I hope you have a good holiday and I will try to at least cross town so that you can have some company for some of the day!
@WakeUpKitty (8694)
• Netherlands
23 Dec 12
Suggestion 1: invite them all at your place. Suggestion 2: (my parents did it that way): one year grandparents 1, next year grand parents 2. Eastern, mother's day etc the same. Suggestion 3: christmas with one, New Year's eve the ohter side.
1 person likes this
@hoseasmate (720)
• United States
24 Dec 12
The only holidays that I care about with spending time with the grandkids are both Thanksgiving and Christmas. So far, the alternating has worked, but this year the other side of grandparents changed their plans because of a divorce and now the whole works is topsy turvy again!!
