Handling Holidays After Divorce

The holidays are just around the corner, and if you are a divorced or separated parent, you may be wondering how to make the season bright while navigating co-parenting with your former partner. Here are some helpful tips, courtesy of divorcehelpforparents.com. More details can be found here.

•  Accept your parenting plan and choose to make the best of it as it is.

•  Create and enforce a conflict-free zone around yourself and your children. Really.

•  Focus on your time with your children instead of the time you aren't going to be together.

•  Be ruthless about keeping your children out of the middle. Really put your children first.

• Start new family traditions for your family. Instead of trying to replicate your old family traditions, create something completely new.

•  Be flexible. Find ways for everyone to "win."

• Steer clear of engaging in the "I can provide a better holiday than you can" competition with your child's other parent.

• Help your child make or purchase a gift for the other parent.

•  Stop trying to change or even influence your child's other parent.

• Take good care of yourself. Get enough sleep, don't skip your exercise routine, make sure you are eating well, make use of your support systems, and remember to breathe deeply every day.

• Be kind - to yourself, to your children, to your family, to your child's other parent, and to the many people you come in contact with on a daily basis.

•  Expect the best outcome instead of the worst. Visualize yourself and your children having a wonderful, stress-free holiday - no matter how you spend it.