The month of October starts a string of end of year family holidays including: Halloween, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas Eve, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and New Year’s Eve, amongst many other special days and celebrations.
Due to divorce, all of the days you miss with your children, regardless of age or occasion, test the relationship and communication you may have with the other parent.
Regardless of the holiday, it is important to maintain a good relationship with your children and ex-spouse in order to facilitate time sharing and co-parenting, while still keeping the family spirit positive and shared amongst all.
Tips for Halloween:
-Communicate, communicate, communicate. A great way to communicate regularly is to find the preferred method of communication. Choose whether emails, text messages, scheduled FaceTime, in-person conversations or phone calls work best for both parents. Also, choose a regular day of the week or time that updates may be best for school updates, extracurricular activities, social events or otherwise, so both parents are involved at all times. Children want to feel that both their parents are involved and care to be part of their life, during Halloween and year-round.
Being proactive helps! No parent wants to really be solely responsible for managing all things. You will end up with an angry, resentful and uncooperative co-parent. Diffuse feelings and power plays with shared responsibility.
-Plan, plan, plan. Plan ahead with the other parent about plans for Halloween and/or related activities, trips, parties and costumes. Check that your parenting plan accounts for this holiday. If not, emphasize flexibility so that plans can accommodate for time with both parents. Don’t put your children in the predicament of having to choose between one parent or the other. Halloween and all holidays should be as stress-free as possible so your children can focus on the fun.
-Share, share, share. Do your best to consistently share news, details, photos and much more with your co-parent. Although a divorce ends a spousal relationship, it does not end your relationship as parents and as a family. Find the best way to keep everyone connected and in touch with one another on a regular basis. Share those Halloween photos and cherish the moments that will pass and never return.
If you are interested in a consultation or have questions do not hesitate to contact Sustainable Family Solutions. Simply click hereand send us a message and we will get right back to you.
