Surviving the holidays is hard, but when you are the parents of a divorced family it is even harder. As a parent you want to have your children with you, when they open up those loveingly wrapped christmas presents under the tree, you want to see their smiles, to hear their laughter. But when you are divorced, it becomes very complicated. Which parent gets the kids for christmas morning, which parent gets the kids for christmas eve?

Is it fair that the mother gets them? She has had them all year. Is it fair that the father gets them? He only sees them on weekends. So how do parents work this out?

Some parents swap out each year, one year the mother gets them, the next year the father gets them. Some arrange it so that the father has them on Christmas Eve, and the mother has them on Christmas morning. While others put aside their differences for one day of the year and come together as a family, while the children open christmas presents on christmas morning.

It is very hard to be in a divorced family, but around the holidays it is even harder, you want what is right for your kids, but can you put the differences aside, all the fighting and bickering, so that the kids can have a wonderful, memorable christmas. I do, my ex-husband and I spend christmas morning together with the kids, we overlook all of our differences, all of our anger, and enjoy seeing our kids open their christmas presents, watch as their faces glow with unexpected suprises, see their smiles as they open up that one present that they wanted so badly.

No matter which option you decide, remember Christmas is a time of giving, of new beginings, of forgiveness, of joy and most of all a time of love.