10 Empty Nest Christmas Tips

For parents celebrating Christmas without the kids for the first time, the holidays can be bittersweet. Here are 10 simple tips to help you to navigate your first empty nest Christmas.

1. Spending time with your kids at another time is a good way to ease the feeling of missing them. For instance, you might make plans to spend Thanksgiving or New Year's Day together. Alternatively, a phone call is a good way to connect.

2. Sending a card or package to your kids for Christmas is another way of to make celebrating Christmas without them easier.

3. A third tip for celebrating Christmas without the kids is to start some new traditions. Go out for a special dinner with your partner. If you are a single parent, it is an opportunity to focus on yourself. Do something that you enjoy - a single parent I know loves to spend the Christmas holiday reading books, listening to music and being creative with arts and crafts.

4. Changing the kids' space into more useful rooms is a good way to prepare for celebrating your first empty nest Christmas. Turn the kids' bedrooms into a space which fits with your lifestyle, such as a den or office. This can help to focus your mind on looking forward, rather than missing your kids!

5. Hosting a Christmas party with friends is a great way to get through celebrating Christmas with out the kids. It can be a pleasure to re-connect with those friends who you were too busy to see when your kids were at home.

6. Also, it is important to accept your feelings when celebrating Christmas without the kids for the first time. You might feel a little sad or even elated! Whatever you feel, allow yourself to feel it. Too often, Christmas is an occasion which is expected to be perfect and jolly when the reality is sometimes different.

7. If you have a partner, an empty nest Christmas is a good time to re-connect. Focus on each other to build your bond.

8. Chances are, you will have more spare cash than in past years when celebrating Christmas without the kids. Use this money for something which is meaningful to you, whether it is saving for retirement, a day out with the grandkids, or something new for the house.

9. Continue Christmas traditions that you have in the past such as putting up a tree or a wreath on the door. This can help you to realize that you are celebrating Christmas for yourself, not just for your kids.

10. Finally, take advantage of the quiet when celebrating Christmas without the kids for the first time. It can be a great time to focus on yourself and spirituality. A religious service, meditation, reading books, etc. are activities which might be less easy to accomplish when the kids are around. Simply put, enjoy the peace and quiet of an empty nest Christmas.