Residency Wives (and hubbies alike)

[MathMum]

What/How do you do holidays to make them special for both the kids and spouse??

More than likely DH will be working on Thanksgiving and Christmas...

Thanksgiving is rather easy I guess, just have dinner once DH gets home... but do you have any suggestions for Christmas?

What are your plans this year?

Re: Residency Wives (and hubbies alike)

What/How do you do holidays to make them special for both the kids and spouse??

More than likely DH will be working on Thanksgiving and Christmas...

Thanksgiving is rather easy I guess, just have dinner once DH gets home... but do you have any suggestions for Christmas?

What are your plans this year?

We do everything we normally would do w/DH, but without him. We already do holiday special things, so if it's a holiday he misses, well he misses it. I love to cook, so for Christmas I made extra special meals for all three meals. Thanksgiving, I'll cook, if he gets off he'll eat with us, if he doesn't get off, he'll get leftovers. Kids don't understand postponing holidays for several days for when dad may be home. Last year the kids and I left for Thanksgiving and my parents came for Christmas. Life doesn't end for medicine. We try to do other activities during the holidays together if possible, like getting pumpkins from a farm, cutting down a tree at a Christmas tree farm, making sugar cookies together etc. If you make it feel like a holiday season, then it's less of a let down when the aren't there for Christmas day IMO - but sucks regardless.

[KCwife]

Re: Residency Wives (and hubbies alike)

Somehow my DH always get Christmas. :huh: Santa still comes in the night. The girls and I still make a big Christmas breakfast and spend the day in jammies. We do wait until DH gets home to do gifts. Luckily since Urology is home call this means he goes in to round then comes home assuming nothing is urgent. Usually by 10-11ish.

[Deebs]

Re: Residency Wives (and hubbies alike)

Like many, we'll be in this position forever, not just during residency. Right now, we're lucky. the only concept DD has of time is "last week", which is anytime in the past, and "tomorrow" which is anytime in the future. We have decided this, and it gives us a bit more control. On Thanksgiving, DH's family comes here. He requests to work the overnight, so he's with us for dinner, and then we sleep while he works. We open our house up into an open house so that anyone else working can come and eat with us (or before/after shift). Many docs' families go to visit extended families without them, so we typically have at least 5 guests who are solo. For Christmas, we haven't had to deal with the Santa thing yet. Last year, DH didn't work until noon, so Santa came on time. We don't have the schedule for this year yet. We basically treat days differently in our house. There are no weekends, holidays, weekdays, etc. There is on shift or off shift. We try to do family things while DH is off shift. It works for us.

[v-girl]

Re: Residency Wives (and hubbies alike)

Last year we got up at the butt crack of dawn to open presents. Then hubby went to work. And the kids and I went back to bed.

Re: Residency Wives (and hubbies alike)

Last year DH worked, I think he was on call Christmas Eve, but I still had fun because my family was visiting.
This year I am sure he'll be working again, and the baby is too young, so I'll probably pretend it is just a normal day. When the baby is older I am sure we will just "move" Christmas back or forward a day if DH has to work. We do that already for birthdays, anniversaries, etc.
I have offered to cook Thanksgiving dinner for any of the residents that are solo, but I doubt that DH will actually remember to pass the message along.

[MathMum]

Re: Residency Wives (and hubbies alike)

Great advice guys. My hubby has off the first two weeks of December, so we are going to my parents and they want to do a psuedo Christmas --- so I think we'll stick with that. Don't want the little one to think that Christmas is all month long - lol.

Re: Residency Wives (and hubbies alike)

Our kids have always dealt with DH working holidays so we just make Christmas, Easter etc on whatever day he is off...the exact date isn't really vital. I have had a few sad moments on the "real" days seeing as I DO know the dates...kind of over it now though
DH will be off for the entire Christmas holidays this year YIPPEEE....**Of course he is off becuase we are scheduled for an induction Dec 19th so I may not be the most wonderful Christmas company ever, but still......