The winter holiday season is a time of joy, celebration and unity for many families. If you are in a co-parenting relationship with your ex-spouse, it can seem difficult to provide truly heartwarming experiences for your child during the holidays.
Creating happy holiday memories for your child and the whole family is completely attainable when you work amicably with your co-parent. By following a few key co-parenting tips for the holidays, you can ring in the new year with a sense of genuine cheer.
Discuss and compromise with your co-parent
Making holiday arrangements ahead of time helps avoid unnecessary conflict. Be sure to find a healthy compromise when splitting time fairly over the holidays and discuss gifts and activities to avoid overlap.
Consider celebrating together
Your priority during the holiday season should be to foster joy and memorable experiences for your child. Putting aside your differences and bad feelings is worthwhile if it helps put a smile on your child’s face. Consider mediation or counseling to help reach an amicable state that you and your co-parent can uphold through the holidays.
Get your child’s input
If your child is at a mature age, they should have a say in how they celebrate the holidays. For example, they may want to hang out with friends over the holiday break, affecting which house they want to stay at during the season.
The holidays can be stressful for co-parents who struggle to compromise on making the best plans for their children. By approaching the situation calmly and turning to professional mediation when necessary, you can have a holiday season that is truly enjoyable for both the children and the adults in your family.