Being separated parents often involves much more than you might think. There’s a lot to manage when it comes to dividing custody days fairly—from summer vacation and spring break to the precious, magical holiday season.
The holiday season is the perfect time to spend quality family time with your children. Seeing their eyes light up at the cookie crumbs left by Santa Claus, or hearing their laughter ring out when they discover the silly pranks their elves have played. It leaves a terrible void the first time you have to share this precious time…
I don’t mean to say we ever get used to missing some of the magic our children bring during the holidays, but we do learn. We learn to share the love for our children, because both parents love them equally. It’s never easy in the early years, especially if there’s a climate of “parental conflict.” Over time, we learn to share those moments. In our family, we alternate between spending Christmas and New Year’s with each parent every year. In some families, Christmas is always at Mom’s and New Year’s at Dad’s—or vice versa. The important thing is to find common ground.
The holiday season is first and foremost a time to celebrate sharing and love. Christmas is a holiday filled with magical moments for little ones, and it’s important to put them first. So for all of you who will have to share your precious children over the next few weeks, make peace—at least for this season. Everyone will be much happier that way. Why not take this opportunity to start some new traditions?