Stepfamily Holiday Survival Plan
By Joanne Ball

Holidays are a time of fun, happiness, bonding beautifully with our children and stepchildren??one big happy family??like the Brady Bunch??right?

Most often these times can be filled with dread. Will the other parent mess about with the visitation schedule, will the children come back from their absent parent needing to be re programmed when they get back. Will all the clothes they went with be returned, will they have been told mistruths and been subjected to you being badmouthed. Or maybe the children you don?™t like are around for even longer and your partner is consumed with their needs and you feel like a spare part ??or the chief cook and bottle washer.

We long for a time of ease where the children skip happily out of the door and skip happily back in again or when we don?™t experience overwhelming emotions of loss, grief, hurt or jealousy around it all.

Stepfamilies can be complex to say the least with many varying degrees of emotions involved. And at holiday time these emotions can be even more obvious.

Here is you guide to a smoother, happier stepfamily holiday.

Prepare yourself. If your children are going to be away prepare yourself for the days you will most wish they could be with you. Consider an activity for yourself and the rest of your family if your children will be with their other parent on Christmas Day or their birthday.