A Single Mom’s Wish For Her Daughter This Holiday.

I cannot believe my gorgeous little girl is actually five years old this year. She and I have been through a lot. Her dad left us both and we have a trauma bond that will connect us through heartbreak forever.

I never expected to get pregnant and be a mom. I always thought I would do it but it was never a requirement for me. All I wanted was true love and a trusted partner.

There is no point in getting into the details of my relationship and how it ended. Just know that I was sure I had found my person. Which is why I jumped into motherhood with both feet.

Fast forward to today. The holidays are here and my daughter eagerly awaits the annual visit from the one man she can trust to deliver, Santa Claus.

Here are ten things that my daughter and I focus on during the holiday season.

1.) An Abundance of gratitude for each other, our supportive friends and family enjoying the promise of today.

2.) Laughter.

Because we share lots of giggles together. We don’t need much. Just our imagination and her precious energy. It is infectious and her eyes can light up even the darkest moments. I have seen this first hand. She is truly an angel.

3.) Positivity.

We look at the bright lights together over the holiday season and I maintain a light mindset because she deserves a positive outlook on life. She should not endure the pain that I have.

4.) Mother Daughter quality time.

At home pedicures are the best. And they are affordable. They take away from screen time too. As a working mom, she and I both need that!

5.) Goal Planning For The New Year

We don’t do resolutions at our house. We do New Year “Wishes.”  We discuss and write down 5 things that we wish for ourselves and 5 things that we wish for each other and then we talk about them. Why we want them and how we think we can achieve them. And how as a team we can make them happen. This exercise is getting more interesting each year. She wishes a lot of good things for me!

6.) We bake cookies

Whatever we want. Usually we find new cookie recipes and we (I bake) and she enjoys being my little helper. We gift cookies to friends and family. It is a budget friendly way of creating gifts that taste delicious while also being task oriented in the kitchen.

7.) We talk about him

It is important at this stage to be a good listener for my daughter when it comes to her asking about her absent father. She knows he is gone. And I doubt she will ever hear from him again. But she asks questions and I try my best to answer them.

8.) We donate old toys and I donate old clothes.

Making room for “our gifts”. It is a great excuse to purge and feel generous on a tight budget. She definitely has an opinion on my clothes!

9.) We plan a vacation.

A local hotel staycation is perfect for me. And she’s pretty easy. So planning a vacation in the summer gives us six months to save, plan and look forward to our time.

10.) We watch Christmas Movies and make craft ornaments for the tree. Oh and we color. Because I still love to color.

-Happy Holidays.