How to get by on less this Christmas

Christmas can be lots of fun for your family. However, there may be moments when you feel under extra pressure or worried about how you and your children will cope. Gingerbread, the charity for single parent families, has some top tips for making the holidays a little easier.

- Spend time together – establishing new family traditions can be a great way of making memories. Don’t forget to take some time for yourself, too.

- Plan contact arrangements early. Drawing up and agreeing a schedule in advance for when your child will be with their other parent can make time spent apart easier and less emotional.

- Decide your budget and stick to it. Be realistic about what you can afford and, where possible, avoid using credit. Organise Secret Santas with adult friends and family, and consider setting a spending limit with your child’s other parent for kids’ gifts.

- Talk to other single parents. Gingerbread membership groups can be a great source of support and many organise social events. You can also chat to other single parents in Gingerbread’s online forums.

- Look to the future. If Christmas is difficult, focus on the New Year as a fresh start and think about what you’d like to achieve. Whether it’s returning to work or meeting more single parents in your area, Gingerbread can help – visit the website or call the Single Parent Helpline on 0808 802 0925.

There’s more advice and support aimed at single parents, including the full Christmas top tips factsheet, at www.gingerbread.org.uk.

Gingerbread has recently started a new section of its website called 'For you' about single parent life. The first article is about coping with Christmas.