Help Your Children Enjoy the Holidays in Two Homes

 Posted on December 08, 2022 in Child Custody

The winter holiday season, for many families, begins with the celebration of Thanksgiving and continues through the month of December into the beginning of January. While the holidays are often filled with fun, food, and extended family, they can be particularly challenging for divorced parents as they try to keep their children involved in all of the festivities. If you share custody of your child with your former partner, there are some things that you can do to help make the winter holidays more enjoyable for everyone involved.

Be Prepared

If your parenting agreement does not already specify where your child will spend each holiday, you will need to make arrangements with the other parent as soon as possible. Do not wait until the very last minute. Give your child something to look forward to, and provide enough lead time for you and your child’s other parent to plan for the holiday accordingly.

Be Kind, Courteous, and Flexible

You and your former partner may have your disagreements, and they may not always be very considerate of your time and efforts. In a moment of honesty, you might even admit that the same is also true in reverse. During the holiday season, do your best to look past your problems. Ever-present hostility and constant derogatory comments about your child’s other parent will not help your child create positive memories of the holidays. Nobody is perfect, and a little patience and extra kindness can go a long way in difficult situations.

Be Open to New Beginnings

Depending upon your relationship with your child’s other parent, the holiday season could represent an opportunity for forging a new future. If circumstances lead to your former partner being alone on Thanksgiving or Christmas Day while you celebrate with your child, you may consider extending your ex an invitation to join you. Putting your differences aside for a day can demonstrate your commitment to your child’s happiness. In addition, such a gesture could create common ground that leads to better communication and a stronger co-parenting relationship between the two of you in the future.

Contact a Frisco Family Law Attorney

For some families, the winter holiday season is just another stressful period in an endless list of them, but that does not need to be the case for you and yours. You have the opportunity to help your child create lasting memories of love and family togetherness, regardless of the fact that you share custody. To learn more about creating a holiday parenting agreement, contact an experienced Collin County child custody lawyer at the Pfister Family Law. Call 972-954-6455 to schedule an initial consultation with a member of our team today.

Source:

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/divorced-children/200812/managing-divorce-and-children-during-the-holidays