Tips for Co-Parenting During the Holidays After Divorce

Especially the first time around, co-parenting during the holidays can be an extremely difficult road for some parents to navigate. The holidays mean so much to so many people, and it can be a bit challenging, disappointing, and even sad after going through a divorce in Georgia during the holiday season.
The good news is that it doesn’t have to be that way. At Buckhead Family Law, we know there are some creative and strategic ways to take the helm of this trying time while also making memories with your child and loved ones.
Talk To Each Other About Gifts
Gift can lead to dissention, so try to talk to your co-parent other about the gifts you are each giving your child and the price tags associated with them. It’s easy to make one parent look bad or feel “less than” if they buy less expensive gifts. It can also appear that one parent is trying to “buy” the child’s affections if the gift giving is clearly uneven, and kids can sense this kind of thing.
When trying to co-parent, it best to openly communicate your intentions. You may decide you want to go in together on a bigger present, or maybe you want to give separate (but somewhat equal) gifts. Whatever you do, talk to each other so that one person isn’t going overboard, and you don’t duplicate gifts.
Work It into The Custody Agreement If You Cannot Work Together
We understand that not all divorces are amicable and not all co-parents can be friends, even during the holidays. If you are worried that you and your ex-spouse won’t be able to keep it civil when you are co-parenting during the holidays, then you will want to work a schedule into your custody agreement. You can do this by figuring out how you will spend the different holidays – whether it is alternating the big ones or devoting specific holidays to specific parents.
Schedules vary from family to family and are impacted by school calendars, traditions and holiday travel. Some great ideas pertaining to this include:
Rotating Every Other Major Holiday | Picking & Choosing the Major Holidays | One Parent Gets Christmas, The Other Gets Christmas Eve | Separating Christmas and New Years |
Alternating Christmas & Thanksgiving | Spending the Morning at One House and the Night at Another | Coming Together as a Family on The Holidays | One Parent Travels to The Kids Instead of Them Traveling |
Remember that what may work one year may not necessarily work the next, especially as children grow and age. Depending on unique traditions for your family, some children may want to spend the holidays with one family and will be quite vocal about it. As children get older, they may want to spend certain parts of the day with friends or a significant other. It’s best to remember that it’s all about the child’s happiness, and because of this, you must be flexible and willing to mold and change to meet the needs of your family.
Work With Each Other On the Important Stuff
Whenever possible, you need to work with each other to schedule the details that are important to you during the holidays. Maybe one parent has a family Christmas party that really matters to them while another enjoys Christmas Eve mass – work with each other to ensure that you both get to spend those special moments with your child.
If you and your ex-spouse are of different religions, make arrangements with each other to ensure that you both get to spend the different celebrations together. Compromise is key here. Both parties must “give to get.”
Need Help Determining Custody?
In the end, every parent values time with their child, especially around the holidays. If you are going through a divorce in Georgia, you want to preserve that time as much as possible. If you want to determine a child custody agreement or you need to reevaluate the one that you already have in place, we are here for you. The lawyers at Buckhead Family Law are here to assist you and help this be a positive turning point for your family. Schedule a consultation by calling at 404-390-0000.