4 Ways to Make It Through the Holidays as a Co-Parent

Navigating the holidays for parents is hard enough when you’re a married couple. When you’re trying to make it through the hustle and bustle with your co-parent, things get even more complicated. No one said it would be easy, but there are ways to make it through the most wonderful time of the year with your sanity intact and your children overjoyed.

Like most things with co-parenting, success in the holidays comes down to communication, setting expectations correctly, and being flexible and understanding. When you’re trying to navigate schedules, gifts, and diets, here are 4 ways to make it through the holidays as a co-parent:

Keep a Shared Schedule

Establish a schedule for the holidays well in advance that is shared and approved by each co-parent. This will make sure that everyone is on the same page about who has the children on what day and where they plan to be. Doing this well in advance is the best way to avoid conflict during the holiday season.

Be Honest With Your Children

Setting expectations correctly involves being honest with everyone. That’s a good thing! You can tell your children that this year will be different from others, and you’re still learning what the holidays look like split across two households. Children will recognize your honesty and be happy to come on that journey with you.

Make New Traditions

Similarly, you don’t have to panic about the holidays being different as co-parents than it was before. Holiday traditions are just things you set up yourself once. You can make new ones! Establish new holiday traditions that you love and in a few years it will feel weird that you ever did anything else.

Take Time for Yourself

Don’t spend the entirety of the holiday season trying to please other people. Between all the entertaining, cooking, and visiting, find some time to be by yourself and do whatever you enjoy. Whether it’s watching a movie, taking a walk, or shopping for candles, time spent alone will help ground you during the rest of the holiday season.

Get the Help You Need

The holidays can be a hectic and stressful time, especially for co-parents. At the end of the day, however, they are about spending time with your loved ones and getting to see that spark of joy in your children’s eyes. For help with all your family law needs, contact Petkovich Law Firm today! We are motivated by results and focused on you.