Navigating the holiday season following a recent divorce or during ongoing divorce proceedings can be challenging for families. While some of the activities you and your children look forward to will remain the same, some routines will inevitably change after a divorce. It is helpful to discuss what might be different as well as what special routines everyone hopes to continue. Coming up with a few new rituals helps build even more good memories moving forward.
Despite your best efforts, keep in mind that the first holiday season after a divorce can be a conflict of happy and sad feelings for children. Although the knee jerk reaction may be to bombard them with gifts and activities to fill the void, kids often benefit from quiet reflection and the opportunity to discuss their feelings both good and bad. With your support, your kids will learn valuable life lessons in resiliency and problem solving that will help them in the years to come.
One of the problems families tackle early on is how to split custody around the holidays. Both parents and other family members such as grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and the like on both sides of the family may wish to spend holidays with your kids so it is important to consider options for splitting custody on those very important days.
For example, you and your ex-spouse could agree to alternate holidays in some way – perhaps letting one parent have custody on Easter and Thanksgiving on even years while the other parent has Christmas and New Year’s, switching the following year. If parents live nearby each other, it may be that simply splitting the day is feasible. Although kids will have to work through their feelings about changes to the holiday status quo, they will benefit from your example of finding a solution that works well for both parents and children and often gain strength from navigating new routines.
When You Have Questions About Custody & Visitation During The Holidays
Contact an Experienced Wisconsin Family Law Lawyer For Answers
Parents sometimes overlook that the difficult visitation issues that arise during the holidays can also be teachable moments for their kids. Although divorce is tough on families there is a positive way forward. If you are considering divorce and have questions regarding custody arrangements during the holidays, contact the Wisconsin family law attorneys of Probst Law Offices at 414-210-3135. Our Wisconsin family law attorneys have helped many families work through their custody and visitation issues so that both the children and the parents can feel confident during the holiday season.