Dealing with your spouse can be difficult no matter the time of year, but the holiday season often presents a unique set of challenges.
During the December episode of his “Whine Down” podcast, Jana Kramer admitted she was “struggling” to make pre-Christmas plans because her two oldest children – daughter Jolie, 8, and son Jace, 6 – were spending the holiday with her ex-husband. Mike Caussin.
“I'm starting to, like, I'm stressed about it. Because, you know, baking cookies before Santa comes — I can't do any of that,” Kramer said. “I don't get to make cookies with them, I can't leave a note out [for Santa] the night before. I can't leave out reindeer carrots or put reindeer food out. … This will be the last year that Jolie writes to Santa.”
Keep scrolling to see how Kramer and other stars plan to spend the holidays while splitting family time with their partners:
Teddi Mellencamp and Edwin Arroyave
Two months after filing for divorce, Mellencamp reflected on her new normal during the holidays.
“In my Bridget Jones era. If I hadn't laughed, I would have cried,” Mellencamp, 43, who shares children Slate, 12, Cruz, 10 and Dove, 4, and Arroyave, 47, opened a December post on Instagram about spending Christmas alone. “It's the first Christmas without my kids, and I know they're in good hands with an amazing dad, but that doesn't mean I can't feel some kind of way.”
He concluded: “He ordered $74 of Thai food, ate cake batter (with baking time) and watched 9 episodes of Lioness. To all my parents going through this, I love you. What are all the power tips?”
Kristin Cavallari and Jay Cutler
Cavallari and Cutler, who finalized their divorce in 2022, share sons Camden, 12, and Jaxon, 10, and daughter Saylor, 9. During a December episode of his “Let's Be Honest” podcast, Cavallari revealed a plan to breed exes on vacation.
Absolute priorities! Despite breaking up in April 2020, Kristin Cavalari and Jay Cutler put their three children first. The former couple married in June 2013 in Tennessee, one year after the Hills alum gave birth to son Camden. Very Cavallari alums went on to welcome Jaxon and Saylor in 2014 […]
“Any divorced parent can understand this and understand this: I didn't have it [my kids] on Thanksgiving this year, so I have them leading up to Christmas, Christmas Eve and Christmas morning, which I choose honestly,” he explained. “That would be great, but I don't have them for a week. [On] On Christmas afternoon they went to Jay's, and I didn't get them until the 2nd [of January].”
Cavallari noted that she usually spends time away from her children by traveling, but this year she plans to rest at home and prepare for her upcoming podcast tour.
“I do microneedling one day and a facial the other day. I'm going to have coffee with a girlfriend I haven't seen in a while. I am on this way to relax and take care of myself,” she said. “I'm just trying to relax.”
Tarek El Moussa and Christina Hall
HGTV stars beat the holiday pairing by spending Christmas Eve together this year. Tarek's wife, Heather Rae El Moussayou have only been told Us Weekly about joint family plans.
“We usually do that [Tarek and Christina’s kids on] Christmas Day. You have them [on] Before Christmas, though [this year] “I think we're going to spend Christmas Eve together,” said Heather. “[For] it's one of the first times.”
Tarek and Christina have daughter Taylor, 14, and son Brayden, 9, while Tarek and Heather, who tied the knot in 2021, have son Tristan, 22 months. Hall is also mother to son Hudson, 5, with her ex-husband Ant Anstead.
Jesse Lally and Michelle Lally
I The valley The costars are still getting the hang of coparenting for the holidays after splitting in October 2023.
Make it work! Ben Affleck, Jennifer Garner and many former celebrity couples have different views on parenting – but that hasn't stopped them from prioritizing parenting for the sake of their children. “You have to be on the same page,” the actress told Today.com in November 2017 about raising Violet, Seraphina and. […]
“We're working on our schedule,” said Jesse, who shares daughter Isabella, 4, with Michelle. Us in December. “This year, unfortunately, Michelle's mother passed away just before Thanksgiving. So, I spent the day before Thanksgiving with Isabella and drove her down so she could spend Thanksgiving and the weekend with Michelle's family. And he will make Christmas with them this year too so they can talk about his grandmother and keep that memory for her.”
Although Jesse understands that Michelle's circumstances are different this year, he admitted that it will be “a difficult Christmas” for him because he has never “done Christmas without” Isabella.
Lindsie Chrisley and Will Campbell
Chrisley's 11-year-old son, Jackson, will spend Christmas with her ex-husband, Campbell, which has dampened his holiday spirit.
“I don't have a tree up, I don't put it up,” he said in his December episode no Kailyn LowryThe “Coffee Convos” podcast. “I don't have Jackson for Christmas, so it's something I don't do.”
I Chrisley You know The best The student admitted that it is “bitter” not having his son with him during the holidays.
“You don't have to worry about doing all these things, but it's also sad. And, like, no matter how many years like that, it's still sad. Loneliness,” he said. “And you hope it will be over soon.”
Lindsie added that when she was with Jackson for Christmas in 2023, she allowed him to go see Campbell and his grandparents on Christmas Eve. His ex is clearly not going to return the favor this year.
“This year, it's the perfect Christmas day for Will, and he's not going to give me what I gave him last year. Why? I don't know,” he said. “I have had to learn through treatment that I have to respect the decisions he chooses at the given time. And the fact that I choose to do something for the development of my child does not mean that he should choose that thing.”
Jana Kramer and Mike Caussin
Kramer and Caussin's two children will be with Caussin this Christmas Eve, as Kramer had them for the holiday last year. The last time Kramer was away from her children on Christmas Eve, the family celebrated Christmas on December 26, which caused a rift with Caussin.
Jana Kramer has been documenting Mike Caussin's reproductive progress since their split in April 2021. The actress announced in an Instagram post that she and the former professional soccer player are divorcing after six years of marriage. One week later, Kramer filed for divorce – which she says she never wanted […]
“My ex and I argued about it because he [was] like, 'You can't change Christmas.' And I'm like, 'You're not going to tell me what to do,'” he recalled during a December episode of his “Whine Down” podcast.
Kramer, who also has a son Roman, 13 months, with her husband Allan Russellhe said that even if going to Caussin's house on Christmas Eve was an option, he wouldn't want to.
“That sounds bad to me,” she said. “Whenever I go to pick up the children from his house, I don't like it. …I don't like being [there]. … He makes himself welcome and comfortable here, I don't come into his place.”
In addition to his sadness, Kramer said that he would not want to enter Caussin's time with Jolie and Jace.
“Those are his memories. I will not invite him to do that with us here,” he admitted. “As much as I've tried to create a good atmosphere for everyone and invite him to parties … I don't want him here at our family night decorating cakes.”
However, Kramer sent Caussin a text about going to Christmas Eve church services with her and their children, but she said she has “not heard back” so far.
Hoda Kotb and Joel Schiffman
Joel Schiffman and Hoda Kotb.
Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagicDecember 24 episode of Today With Hoda & JennaKotb revealed that his ex will be included in his family's 2024 Christmas plans. “For us, our Christmas is not big because it is me, my children, my mother, my sister, Joel. We meet,” he said. (The exes split in January 2022 and share daughters Haley, 7, and Hope, 5.)
He continued: “That's a team, and it's a cool Christmas. So, we're going to give out cookies tonight to Santa and carrots. She's always been a big fan of cookies.”
Kotb teased Schiffman's inclusion in his holiday festivities via Instagram earlier that month. In a photo of his family's Christmas stocking, which has the name “Dad” on it can be seen hanging over Kotb's living room fireplace.
