Estranged or Toxic Family? Why the Holidays Are So Hard and How to Cope

The holidays can feel especially painful when you’re estranged from family or when relatives don’t make an effort to show up for your kids. Christmas tends to amplify that grief, especially for moms carrying emotional labor and old attachment wounds. You’re not overreacting. You’re responding to something that matters, and it’s okay to create a version of the holidays that feels safer and more supportive for you and your family.