The holiday season can help bring you closer with your children. As you share meals, exchange gifts and travel to see family, you get to bond with your kids. But after a recent divorce, you may worry about how you will share holiday time.
Co-parenting through the holidays doesn’t have to be difficult for you and your former spouse. By focusing on your children and sharing your time, you can make the season a fun, family-filled experience for everyone. Here are a few tips for sharing holiday time with your ex-spouse:
- Make the holidays about your child – Trying to share time with your children over this season can quickly become a battle. Try to focus on what is best for your children instead of fighting over your time with them. Find out what makes the holidays special for them.
- Work out a schedule – If you can both work together to make a schedule, you can split time with your children in a way that gives you both memorable holiday experiences. Try to include visits with other family members, like grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.
- Don’t compete with gifts – If you and your former spouse want to get separate gifts for your children, try not to compete with each other for the best present. Discuss your gifts beforehand. And try to focus on what your children want, not what will top the other parent.
- If you can, have a shared holiday – If you get along with your former spouse, try to spend holidays together instead of separately. Your children will appreciate you coming together as one family.
When you share custody with your former spouse, the holiday season can quickly become stressful. Disagreements about who your children spend time with can cause bitter feelings and ruin your holidays.
But if you and your ex-spouse can work together and focus on your children, you can make the holidays special for everyone.
