Even if you are divorced, the holiday season can be one of the most enjoyable times of the year. As far in advance as possible, you’ll want to speak with your ex-spouse about parenting time schedules during the holidays.
While this is never a simple conversation to have, you know that it’s important. Once you have a schedule in place, it’s much easier to have a clear idea of how to tackle the busy holiday season.
Here are some tips to guide you:
- Your children should always be your top priority, even if it means moving around other things in your schedule
- Start with your divorce decree, as it typically outlines parenting schedules to follow during the holidays
- Be flexible, as you never know when schedules will change for one reason or another
- Don’t put excess pressure on yourself, such as by wanting to spend more time with your child than the other parent
It’s imperative that you do whatever it takes to provide your child with a positive holiday experience. As difficult as this may sound as a divorced parent, it’s actually quite simple if all parties are on the same page.
If you run into any issues, you’ll want to review your divorce decree for a better idea of what is supposed to happen regarding parenting time over the holidays. When you stick with this, you never have to worry about making the wrong decision.
You may miss your child at times during the holiday season, but you also have the opportunity to make the most of every minute you spend together.
Source: The Huffington Post, “5 Tips for Managing Parenting Time During the Holidays,” accessed Nov. 14, 2017