How to Make Holidays Happy When You Are a Single Parent

 Posted on December 15, 2012 in Divorce

Getting through the holidays when you are married and have children can sometimes be difficult. But if you are divorced, the holiday visits and all the other fuss can make your holiday a real pain if you do not plan ahead. Your children are the most important thing, of course, and you should try to make it easy for them. A divorce does not have to ruin the holidays either for you or your children. Relationship expert Maria Sbrochi mentions a couple of tips that may prove useful:

1. If you and your ex will be celebrating the holiday in the same city, you can split up the day. One  parent can spend time with the chlidren until afternoon and the other parent gets the kids after that.

2. Older children can celebrate one year with dad and the other with mom. You can make your own traditions or take the family on the road. Come up with a location to celebrate the holiday with your kids.

3. If families live out of town, it is not possible to split up the day. In such circumstances, it is best to alternate holidays and years. You could do, for example, Thanksgiving with one parent and Christmas or Hanukkah with the other.

4. Whatever you choose to do, remember to plan ahead of time. Be sure to let your kids know what will happen and when.  Try to make things smooth for them. They can participate in the planning process too.

5. If your kids want to call the other parent on your holiday, let them. Even if you do not get along with your ex, the children are blameless and deserve a happy holiday.

If you need help with divorce related matters, it is best to consult an experienced divorce lawyer. Contact a knowledgeable divorce lawyer in Illinois today.