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Christmas

Christmas, daughter and family

(6 Posts)
Jjanl Tue 03-Jan-23 07:12:23

I live on my own and have 3 daughters. My youngest daughter has the youngest grandchildren. For the past two Christmas’s she has spent Christmas Day with her husbands family so the children can be with their cousins, I get this but this Christmas she hasn’t spent any time with me in the whole week. This is really hurting. Do other grandparents have this problem?

ParlorGames Tue 03-Jan-23 07:26:03

Did you actually suggest getting together with your daughter spend some time together? if not, maybe she has assumed that you didn't want to or. didn't have the time to spare.

MawtheMerrier Tue 03-Jan-23 08:40:20

I do sympathise. I lost my DH 5 years ago and I have 3 daughters too.
I can be very aware of being on my own and it is made worse by the feeling that the “other” grandparents /parents are seeing more of them than me.
There may be a reason. The daughters each had in-laws or a parent with them this year. It was D2’s FIL’s first Christmas since his wife died and D3’s in-laws were on their own as their other two AC were abroad and working. So I went to D1. A fair distribution of “Mum”. But there are other times when I feel I am missing out and it can be hard to keep a sense of perspective when you are lonely. An example might be that I used to hate turning up and leaving on my own when at “family” events when everybody else seemed to be in couples. It was a hard lesson to get over that, but I have-sort of.
You don’t say what your other daughters did over the Christmas period. It may be up to you to take the initiative.
Invite them to lunch. Invite them to an entertainment (the film of Matilda the Musical is good if they are not too tiny) or take them all out for a meal Pizza Express or Harry Ramsdens goes down well with children)
But you need to take matters into your own ands, not sit waiting to be taken into consideration ( even if you should)
You will be happier for it and your D might realise -without being made to feel guilty - that she and the children enjoy being with you.

Mamasperspective Sun 13-Aug-23 11:56:06

I know this post was a long time ago but as it's August now, it would be worth having a word with your youngest and expressing that you feel you are missing out with building memories with her children over Christmas.

My dad is on his own after we lost my mum so now I host Christmas each year so that nobody is left out. I'm sure she can manage to spend a Christmas with you (or a morning with one family and afternoon with the other) but she can't be expected to know how you feel unless you talk to her so I would have a conversation with her now about it before she has chance to put firm plans in place

Chardy Sun 13-Aug-23 12:10:37

Christmas with one family, Boxing Day or New Year with other family? It depends on distances, how long each adult has off work and how old the kids are. Personally I think cousin-bonding in young school-age kids is a big deal because I never had any! I tried hard with my kids/nieces/nephews. For some it lasted into adulthood.
We used to organise it around October half-term.

maddyone Sun 13-Aug-23 12:12:38

Perhaps you could offer to host your daughter and her family one day this coming Christmas.
Haven’t your youngest grandchildren have any cousins on your side?
Maybe host all three daughters and families. Do a big buffet. Don’t try to cook. Buy everything ready made and just put it out.