How To Blend Holiday Traditions To Avoid Step-Stress

The holidays are a sacred time for families. So sacred, in fact, that many people scoff at the idea of straying away from longtime traditions – or making new ones altogether.

That’s usually what happens in a blended family situation. And in the U.S., stepfamilies are more common than you think. According to The Step Family Foundation, more than 50 percent of U.S. families are remarried or re-coupled. Thus, 50 percent of children are living with one biological parent and a stepparent.

With New Years upon us, it’s time to plan the perfect holiday to make everyone in the stepfamily feel comfortable. Here are some tips to celebrate the holiday as a blended family:

From our partner

Do you still have gout symptoms even though you're taking medication? You’re not alone. The Kadence study is a clinical research study for adults with uncontrolled gout. Learn More

Find a way to maintain rituals.

It’s the little things that make the holiday season so great. Whether that’s cooking black-eyed peas together to eat as a family on New Year’s Day or sitting together to watch the midnight countdown on TV, these activities are what make the holidays at your home truly special. But in a blended family situation, perhaps stepchildren celebrate differently – and that’s OK.

Instead of forcing everyone to conform to one tradition, try blending the traditions together to form a special bond. It’s also important to create new memories that become specific to your stepfamily. Don’t be afraid to involve the kids, and hear them out, as you come up with new traditions together.

Give your permission. 

From our partner

People 16+ years old struggling with lupus: Find out if the PHOENYCS FLY Study may be for you. Study-related care provided at no cost.

Sometimes, children may feel guilty while at their stepfamily’s home. There could be a sense of leaving their biological parent behind, or betraying them to some degree. As a parent, it’s important to reassure your children that it’s OK to have a fun time at their other family’s home – in fact, you should encourage them to do so.

Spend alone time with your children.

Yes, family time is important as a blended family, but children also want to spend alone time with their solo biological parent, too. So, instead of doing a traditional activity together with stepmom, dad should fly solo and spend that much-needed one-on-one time with his children without stepmom. She can rejoin them later for a stepfamily activity.