Is celebrating the holidays optional when you have kids? |
If you get angry about it, it affects your mental health, or it affects your marriage, then yes it’s optional. |
Can you “celebrate” without extreme resentment towards a spouse who does what to ask? If this is impossible for you, then you should consider this optional. Having a family Christmas does not need to be so difficult. |
Go to Amazon, buy a set of matching pajamas, buy some dolls, books, video games ( depending on children's age). Watch a Netflix/Hulu/Prime Christmas movie and drink some hot cocoa. Have a lovely Christmas! |
DP If I was having financial problems or under significant stress for some reason, I'd make it work like this. I'd make it work. It would be fine. |
Define “celebrating the holidays.” We put up a tree and decorate it. We buy and wrap gifts. We cook a festive Christmas dinner. That’s about it, and I say “we” because my husband and I both do these things. We do not do elf on the shelf, matching pajamas, a zillion decorations, or any number of other things that I’m sure some here would deem not-optional. And my kids are fine, truly. |
Most things are optional! Look at the loser sitting around doing nothing and having no friends. That’s due to their decision to do nothing. Always an easy option. You can even force your young kids to do nothing during your custody time too. |
Wow, again nuance and ability is to prioritize is not a strong suit for many of you. If you don’t go all in on the holidays, you are the same as someone who sits at home with no friends? Ok. Strange. |
Look at the crisis-maker making a crisis out of everything. That’s due to their failure to consider nuance and find reasonable options given a set of circumstances and limitations. |
So not only is OP on the hook to do what most reasonable people consider a basic of parenting (celebrate holidays) but also at fault for feeling angry about it. Ok! Can’t you ever take responsibility for your own actions? |
Hey genius - yes we all know that a task in isolation seems easy. That’s not the point. The point is doing ALL the tasks. |
DP Yes the extreme resentment over the spouse who does everything asked except project managing is her choice.
Glad you understand.
Yes. If PM-ing is leading to extreme resentment, I can choose to delegate more tasks to the person taking tasks until I am free of resentment. |
As an adult, taking responsibility means carving out a life and a set of responsibilities you can manage without anger. It also means taking responsibility for your emotions. I’m a woman and I take responsibility for my life - probably why I am not angry. Hope that helps! |
I mean the point here is that men face the consequence of divorce if they don’t stop being lazy. You’re not saying anything we don’t know. |
Holidays, real vacations, sports, and experiences were not done at my aspergers in law’s home. Neither were birthday cakes. Guess how they all turned out!? |