With the holiday season fast approaching, co-parents may be feeling stress or pressure to create a happy, memorable time for their children. Here are three simple holiday tips for co-parents that can help make the best of a difficult time of year for divorced families.
1. Communicate
Make a clear plan with your co-parent about the children’s visitation schedule. Do not make plans or accept invitations to events without speaking to your co-parent. A clear schedule will not only help adults avoid miscommunication and misunderstanding, but will also keep children informed and aware of what will be happening, when it will be happening, and who they’ll be with. Giving your children an opportunity to speak or Facetime with the other parent on holidays is also a great opportunity for connection and communication.
2. Compromise
Compromise is essential to a peaceful holiday season. If you and your co-parent don’t agree on a holiday plan you were excited about, take a deep breath and try to avoid becoming frustrated. Instead, see if there’s a way you can compromise to both get something you want. Of course, you should check your custody and visitation orders before agreeing to anything.
3. Create New Traditions
The loss or change of old traditions can be hard for everyone in the family. Continuing old traditions may even be painful and put a damper on the holiday season. Get input from your children on traditions that are important to them and that they’d like to continue, but also have ideas for new traditions that they may enjoy. But avoid over-doing it—the holiday season can be busy and overwhelming, and you will all need time to rest and relax.
SupportPay Can Help
If you and your co-parent are committed to clear communication, compromise, and creating a positive experience for your children, you can navigate the holidays with little stress. We hope you found these holiday tips for co-parents to be beneficial. And as always, SupportPay is here to provide you with resources if the need should arise. We wish you and your family a very happy holiday season.