Reuniting with an ex can be difficult no matter the time of year, but the holiday season often presents a unique set of challenges.
During a December episode of her Whine Down podcast, Jana Kramer admitted she was “struggling” to make Christmas plans because her two oldest children – daughter Jolie, 8, and son Jace, 6 – are spending the holiday with her ex-husband. Mike Caussin.
“I'm already starting to get depressed about it. Because, you know, baking the cookies before Santa comes — I can't do any of that,” Kramer said. “I can't make cookies with them, I can't leave out the note (to Santa) one more night first. I can't leave out the carrots for the reindeer or take away the reindeer food. This would probably be the last year Jolie writes to Santa.
Keep scrolling to see how Kramer and more stars plan to spend the holidays sharing family time with their exes:
Teddy Mellencamp and Edwin Arroyave
Two months after filing for divorce, Mellencamp reflected on her new normal over the holidays.
“In my Bridget Jones era. If I didn't laugh at myself, I'd cry,” Mellencamp, 43, who shares children Slate, 12, Cruz, 10, and Dove, 4, with Arroyave, 47, gushed in an Instagram post in December about spending Christmas solo. “First Christmas without my kids, and I know they're in great hands with a great dad, but that doesn't mean I can't feel a certain way.”
She concluded: “Ordered $74 worth of Thai food, eating cookie dough (who has time to bake) and watched 9 episodes of Lioness. To all my parents out there going through this, I love you. What are all the tips to succeed?”
Kristin Cavallari and Jay Cutler
Cavallari and Cutler, who finalized their divorce in 2022, have sons Camden, 12, and Jaxon, 10, and daughter Saylor, 9. During a December episode of her “Let's Be Honest” podcast, Cavallari revealed co-parenting schedule of exes.
Perfect priorities! Despite splitting in April 2020, Kristin Cavallari and Jay Cutler put on a united front for their three children. The former couple married in June 2013 in Tennessee, a year after the Hills alum gave birth to son Camden. Very Cavallari alums continued to welcome Jaxon and Saylor in 2014 (…)
“Every divorced parent can relate to this and understand this: I didn't have (my kids) for Thanksgiving this year, so I have them leading up to Christmas, Christmas Eve and morning. of Christmas, which I honestly prefer,” she. is explained. “It will be good, but then I don't have them for a week. (On) Christmas Day at noon they go to Jay's, and then I don't get them until the 2nd (of January).
Cavallari noted that normally she would spend time away from her children by going on a trip, but this year she plans to rest at home and prepare for her upcoming podcast tour.
“One day I'll do microneedling and one day I'll do a facial. I'm going to have coffee with a friend I haven't seen in a while. I'm in this resting mode and taking care of myself,” she said. “I'm just trying to calm down.”
Tarek El Moussa and Christina Hall
HGTV stars are beating the co-parenting holiday blues by spending Christmas Eve together this year. Tarek's wife, Heather Rae El Moussawas told exclusively Us Weekly for blended family plans.
“We usually have (Tarek and Christina's children) on Christmas Day. She has them (on) Christmas Eve, but (this year) I think we're going to spend Christmas Eve together,” Heather said. “(For) one of the first times.”
Tarek and Christina have daughter Taylor, 14, and son Brayden, 9, while Tarek and Heather, who married in 2021, have son Tristan, 22 months. Hall is also mother to son Hudson, 5, who she shares with her ex-husband Ant Anstead.
Jesse Lally and Michelle Lally
of The valley The costars are still co-parenting the holidays after splitting in October 2023.
Making it work! Ben Affleck, Jennifer Garner and more former celebrity couples have different ideas about how to raise children — but that hasn't stopped them from prioritizing co-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,” Jesse, who shares daughter Isabella, 4, with Michelle, told the exclusive. us in December. “This particular year, unfortunately, Michelle's mother passed away right before Thanksgiving. So I spent Thanksgiving night with Isabella and then drove her down to spend Thanksgiving and the weekend with Michelle's family. And she's going to do Christmas with them this year too, so they can talk about her grandma and keep that memory of her alive.”
While Jesse understands that Michelle's circumstances are unique this year, he admitted that it will be “a tough Christmas” for him because he's never “done a Christmas without” Isabella.
Lindsey Chrisley and Will Campbell
Chrisley's 11-year-old son Jackson will be spending Christmas with her ex-husband Campbell, which has put a damper on her holiday spirit.
“I don't have a tree up, not up,” she said during a December episode of her and Kailyn Lowrythe Coffee Convos podcast. “I don't have Jackson for Christmas, so that's something I'm not doing.”
of Chrisley knows The best The alum admitted it's “bittersweet” not having her son for 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 it's been like this, it's still sad. It's lonely,” she said. “And then you just hope it's over soon.”
Lindsie added that when she had Jackson for Christmas in 2023, she allowed him to go see Campbell and his paternal grandparents on Christmas Eve. Her ex apparently won't return the favor this year.
“This year, it's Christmas Day for Will and he's not going to offer me the same thing I offered him last year. Why? I don't know,” she said. “I've had to learn through therapy that I have to respect the choices he makes in the time he's given. And just because I choose to do something for my child doesn't mean he has to choose the same.”
Jana Kramer and Mike Caussin
Kramer and Caussin's two children will be with Caussin this Christmas Eve, after Kramer had them for the holiday last year. The last time Kramer was away from her children on Christmas Eve, the family simply celebrated Christmas on Dec. 26, which caused some friction with Causs.
Jana Kramer has been documenting her and Mike Caussin's progress in co-parenting since their split in April 2021. The actress announced via an Instagram post that she and the former professional soccer player were calling it quits after six years of marriage. A week later, Kramer filed for divorce — which she said she never wanted (…)
“Me and my ex fought about it because he (was) like, 'You can't change Christmas.' And I'm like, 'You can't tell me what to do,'” she recalled during a December episode of her “Whine Down” podcast.
Kramer, who also shares son Roman, 13 months, with the husband Allan Russellsaid that even if going to Caussin's house on Christmas Eve was an option, she wouldn't want to.
“It doesn't feel good to me,” she said. “Every time 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 go inside his house.”
Aside from her concern, Kramer said she didn't want to infringe on Caussin's time with Jolie and Jace.
“These are his memories. I wouldn't invite him to do that here with us,” she admitted. “As much as I've tried to create a wonderful situation for everyone and invite him to parties … I don't want him to be here at our family nights decorating cookies.”
However, Kramer texted Caussin to go to church services on Christmas Eve with her and their children, but said he “hasn't heard back” from her yet.
Hoda Kotb and Joel Schiffman
Joel Schiffman and Hoda Kotb.
Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagicIn the December 24 episode of Today with Hoda and JennaKotb revealed that her ex-fiancé would be included in her family's plans for Christmas 2024. “For us, our Christmas is not a big one because it's me, my kids, my mom, my sister, Joel. We come together,” she shared. (The exes split in January 2022 and have two daughters Haley, 7, and Hope, 5.)
She continued: “This is the band and it's just a cozy Christmas. So we're putting out Santa Claus and carrot cookies tonight. He always seems to like cookies best.”
Kotb teased Schiffman's involvement in her holiday festivities via Instagram earlier that month. In a photo of her family's Christmas stockings, one named “Dad” could be seen hanging over Kotb's living room fireplace.
