Call Us Now
Email Us Now
Getting through even the most amicable of divorces can be a challenge during the holiday season. There are countless reasons that Michigan parents may struggle with a visitation arrangement, especially when facing the pressures of splitting holiday celebrations between two households. This can make not only the holidays less enjoyable for the whole family, but it can also further impact the children and how well they adjust to the new living arrangements.
One way to help children to adjust to the new schedule that comes withe divorce is for parents to communicate with their children well in advance of the holidays. If the mother will have the children on Christmas, they should know to expect that. This will allow the father to determine when he will celebrate the holiday with the children, assuming that the relationship between the two ex-spouses does not allow for an amicable family celebration together. The same process applies to New Year’s Day.
Understanding that each decision ultimately affects the children the most should help the parents temporarily put aside their own emotions in an effort to keep the well-being of their shared children in mind during any scheduling disputes. Proactive planning should be the goal just not for the holiday season, but for every single day. This means frequent and open communication between ex-spouses, which can alleviation much of the drama that goes along with the so-called parenting shuffle.
Parenting comes with many challenges, even when both parents are facing them as a united front. Once divorce occurs, however, effective visitation schedules can be a difficult goal for Michigan parents to achieve. Parents must make a concerted effort to keep the needs of their shared children as the focus, working together to ease the transition for all parties involved. When that does not seem possible, seeking guidance can be beneficial.
Source: Huffington Post, Surviving the Co-Parenting “Holiday Shuffle”, Michelle Crosby, Nov. 18, 2013