How to handle Christmas as a single parent?

handling-christmas-as-a-single-parent

Handling Christmas as a single parent can be challenging, especially when you’re on a tight budget. Christmas is about family and spending time together,.  To kids it can be about Santa and presents.  You can combine the two and teach your kids some great ideals and traditions during the holidays.  We all want to give our kids the best Christmas and we tend to think that means having lots of presents to open.  The season is all in what you make of it.  There are so many things you can do as a single parent for your kids during the holidays.

How to handle Christmas as a single parent

Gift for others: This may seem like something you can not do when you are struggling to purchase for your own kids.  The power of this is so much greater than a toy under the tree.  There is always someone less fortunate and teaching your kids to help others before themselves is something that will stay with them for life.  Seeing your children help out other children so selflessly is a beautiful thing.  You could do this through Toys For Tots at local fire stations or police stations. 

Book a night: This is a great way to build your children’s personal library and spend time together reading.  Starting on December 1, have a box ready with 24 books wrapped.  Each night until Christmas Eve, your kids get to pick a wrapped book and read it with you.  If 24 books is too much, you can do one a weekend.  It is quality time (and money) well spent! 

Crafts: Spend some time with your kids making some decorations for the home!  You will have a great time, no matter what age.  The memories and the keepsakes will be cherished for years.  You might even start a tradition you can do every year, and they might even pass on to their kids.

Shop sales, internet and consignment shops: You do want to have Santa deliver gifts to your kids for Christmas morning, but it does not have to break the bank.  Starting early can help!  When you think ‘I have to go Christmas shopping’ it is overwhelming and gets costly when you have to do it all at once.  Of course there are going to be some things closer to the holiday that your kids will want, but generally speaking, you can do this over time.  Shop consignment shops, a lot of times there are brand new items and at worst, gently used.  Internet shopping can save you a lot of money as well.  Ebay and Amazon are great sites to start for items you are looking for at less than the store cost.  Keep an eye on the sales fliers as well.  It could take some time to organize and get the best deal but it will be worth it!


Being a single parent at Christmas can be a stressful time of year.  We want to give our kids only the best.  Hopefully this list can help alleviate some of that stress we only put on ourselves and help to create some great traditions and values in your children.

 Have you done Christmas as a single parent?  Post some of the ways you made it happen below!

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6 thoughts on “How to handle Christmas as a single parent?”

  1. These are all great tips. My parents usually don’t want gifts even when I wasn’t a single parent. Now that I am I am thankful my 7 year old is pretty cheap and doesn’t play with toys. He collects tumblers (yes cups) and so he always asks for a new cup for his collection.

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