Relationship charity Relate Isle of Man has come up with a guide to make sure everyone enjoys the festivities this Christmas.
It acknowledges that celebrating with others can make it difficult to make sure everyone’s happy.
A Relate spokesman said: ‘We all have different expectations of what makes a perfect Christmas and it’s important to make sure you think about this before the big day comes around.
‘Try to make it clear right from the start that you might not be able to please everybody.
‘By talking about it in advance, you can make sure everyone is listened to and that they all feel part of the day itself.’
When planning for Christmas day, the charity recommends considering what you want, what others want, and the middle ground.
For some people, the perfect Christmas is quiet, snug and cosy – for others, it needs to be a full house.
Take a bit of time to work it out, and don’t be afraid to assert yourself.
Relate advises to ask around to find out what sort of Christmas people want – not just for lists from your nearest and dearest that will help with your shopping.
The only way you can come up with something to suit everyone is to find out what people really think makes a good Christmas day for them.
Parents are advised to get a big sheet of paper, divide it into sections and get the children to draw pictures of what they most love about Christmas.
It describes the middle ground as the tricky bit: ‘If you’re very lucky, you might have found that everyone you’re celebrating with has the same idea for a perfect Christmas.
‘If so, enjoy it. But if not, the key is to make sure everyone has a little bit of what they want.’
Tips for communicating about Christmas include:
• Keep talking and being honest
• Don’t overpromise
• Try to compromise
• If someone’s wishes can’t be accommodated, explain why and see if it’s possible to do something similar at a later date.
Relate Isle of Man helps at all stages of relationships. Call 623902 or visit www.relate.org.uk for more information.