by Veronica Spettmann

Non-single Aunties out there have probably encountered the troubling situation of trying to figure out whose family to spend the holidays with. Single Aunties may be having trouble deciding how to spend time with their families while still going to those great holiday parties that our friends are hosting. Here are a few guidelines to help you decide how to split up your time between families or between friends and family:

1. Decide if you can combine everyone! If your family gets along with your significant other’s family, then just have one big day of festivities where everyone can mingle! Does your family like your friends? Have your friends over for your holiday celebrations.

2. So, they don’t get along. Or you have too many friends. It happens. Has your family always had a huge Christmas Eve party, but not done much at all on Christmas Day? If this is the case, figure out if they would mind if you spent Christmas Day with your friends or significant other’s family. More often than not, most involved will be fine with the compromise.

3. Oh dear, your friends and families all want to celebrate on the exact same day and aren’t budging and you can’t combine them all into one big party. Now it boils down to deciding if you can split up the day itself.  Is everyone close enough together that you can see your family in the morning, your significant other’s family for dinner, and then go out for holiday drinks with your buddies? The extra, extra effort shows everyone that you want to see them.

4. Darn, your significant other’s family lives more than 50 miles away. What now? Unfortunately, if this is the case, you’re going to have to start thinking about who you see more often.  If you live with your family or see them all the time, then you may want to consider seeing them before or after the holidays and go to see your significant other’s family or friends whom you do not see often on the holidays instead. They may not be thrilled, but they’ll understand.