Having a Happy Holiday Season after a Divorce

 Posted on December 13, 2013 in Divorce

The first holidays following a divorce can be a very difficult time for everyone. Families are forced to deal with visitation schedules, vacation, gift-giving and other issues that they have never had to deal with before. If this is your first holiday season following a divorce, there are several things you should consider doing to make your holidays flow more smoothly.

Create a Holiday Schedule

If you did not create a holiday schedule in your divorce settlement or custody agreement, make one ahead of time. Discuss plans with your ex-spouse calmly and reasonably, and be willing to give a bit. Remember, it should be about making your children happy, and try to resolve things as easily as possible.

Once you've worked out the holiday visitation schedule with your co-parent, create an easily readable version and post it for your children to see. This will help them be prepared for anything out of the ordinary.

Create New Traditions

While it's perfectly okay to keep a few of your older traditions, particularly old favorites, it can also be an excellent idea to give your children something new to look forward to. The holidays are difficult for kids after a divorce, particularly having to spend them without both parents present. Creating a few special new traditions can help ease the sting of the separation.

Keep Communicating

Throughout the holiday season, continue communicating with your ex-spouse. This can help make the entire season flow much more smoothly, from schedules to presents. If you will be out of town with the children, let your ex know where you'll be and how they might get a hold of you and your children. This will help keep them comfortable and prevent any conflict over travel plans.

Of course, sometimes there are legitimate concerns through the holiday season when it's a non-custodial parent's turn for visitation, and there may be gray areas in your custody agreement that make coming to an agreement more difficult. In these cases, contact an experienced Austin divorce lawyer right away.