5 Ways to Support Your Children While Going Thru a Divorce During the Holidays
Dec 14, 2018
Going through a divorce is always hard, but it is especially difficult during the holidays. If you are a parent and this is your first Christmas after the divorce, it is important to put the emotional and material needs of your children first.
It will be different for everyone this Christmas, and you should not try to pretend otherwise. While you can’t completely shield your children from the effects of the divorce, you can take action to minimize the disruption it causes.
Here are 5 ways you can support your children during your first post-divorce Christmas:
1. Create a schedule in advance
Do not allow depression and grief to drive your holiday routine. Children respond well to order and structure, and they will have a better time if they know that you are in control and know exactly where they will go and what they will do on the days leading up to Christmas.
2. Set the tone
You do not need to suppress your feelings throughout the holidays, but you must strike the right tone. It should be one that is hopeful and loving. You may need the help of family and friend to do this, and you should not be afraid to ask for their support.
3. Plan for alone time
Enlisting the help of those closest to you will give you much needed alone time. This can help you deal with your pain and grief out of sight of your children.
4. Don’t shower your children with presents
All your children want is your love. You need not shower them with gifts to try to compensate for all that they have been through. If you are overly extravagant in your gift-giving this year, your children will sense it and know that something is wrong.
5. Don’t compete with the other parent
Trying to outdo the other parent in affection and presents is also a bad idea. You should try to be as natural and consistent as possible. This will do much more to help them through the holidays.
You will need to organize the days the kids will spend with you and the days they will spend with your ex. A Brooklyn divorce attorney or a Brighton Beach divorce lawyer can mediate a plan that will benefit your children. The Levitsky Law Firm is a divorce lawyer in Brooklyn that can help you draw up a fair and workable arrangement.