Californians who are separated or going through divorces may find the holidays to be especially stressful. The holidays might be even more difficult for divorcing couples who share children. It is important for the parents to realize that their divorces or separations are just as hard on their children. They should take steps to make the holidays happier for both themselves and their children.
Parents might want to consider how they have celebrated the holidays in the past. While they don’t necessarily have to continue to do so in the same way, they might want to take into account holidays during which children get to see extended family members on one side of the family whom they don’t get to see during the rest of the year. The parents should be flexible with each other so that their children can enjoy the holidays.
Divorcing parents should realize that the decisions they make now may later come back to hurt them. They should think about how they might feel if the other parents limited their time with their children during the holidays and try to be accommodating. Parents should also avoid trying to outspend each other. Instead, they might want to discuss sharing the cost of big-ticket gifts for their children.
Parents who want to divorce may benefit by talking through custody plans with their lawyers. Experienced family law attorneys may help their clients negotiate parenting plans with holiday schedules that work well for their children and for the other parents. By being reasonable, the parents are likelier to enjoy smoother divorce processes so that they can move forward. They should remember that they will need to be able to work with their children’s other parents as the children grow.
