Negotiating helps when far-apart relatives want to see you on the same day, and the calendar is packed with blended and extended family celebrations. When faced with holiday schedule conflicts, families can get together to discuss solutions, DelCampo said. Then ask for suggestions. Children in particular are very creative and they can come up with good ways to solve the problem. Another tactic is to have all family members write down how they would like to spend the holidays.
Small children can dictate their answers.
After each idea is read aloud, families can discuss what to do. Talking about it is very important. In fact, many families settle their dilemmas by alternating holidays. Some agree to spend every other year with each extended family. Others rotate Thanksgiving and Christmas or Christmas Eve and Christmas Day celebrations.