Plan what you?™ll do. Before the holiday begins plan with your partner and the children what you all want to do during the holidays. Set out expectations upfront. Make everyone aware of any work commitments or agreements to visit family. By not having a plan for the holidays you are open to boredom, frustrations and arguments setting in, and that is likely to be like waling into a minefield.

Establish new traditions. It?™s good to create new traditions in a stepfamily. Taking everyone?™s needs into account. That way, things are fresh and new to everyone, which creates a feeling of being in the same boat as everyone else.

Consider what each family did and enjoyed before and work out what the new family would like to do now. Would you like to create a tradition of each of you having some time alone with your biological children? Maybe you want to have grandparents come and visit for a few days whilst the children are with you. Be creating and enjoy the process.

Take time for you and your partner. If you find yourself without your children whilst they visit their other parent make the most of special time alone with your partner. Your relationships is the most important thing for your children. They?™ll learn how relationships should (or shouldn?™t) be done by watching you. You are their main educator on that front. You?™ll feel great for it too. Time to show each other just how much you do love one another and top yourselves back up before the children come back home.