Co-parenting at any time of the year can be a challenge, but that’s particularly true during the holiday season. With both parents wanting to spend as much time as possible with their children, it’s likely that disagreements will move to the forefront.
Fortunately, there are some steps you can take to make co-parenting work during the busy holiday season. Experiment with the following ideas this year:
- Rely on your parenting agreement: If your parenting agreement touches on the holidays, such as where your children should spend them, follow the terms and conditions closely. You both agreed to the terms, so now’s the time for them to guide you.
- Talk to your ex-spouse in advance: For example, don’t wait until the day before Thanksgiving to make plans. When you do this a few weeks in advance, you leave enough time to work through the finer details and potential challenges.
- Keep an open mind: You both want the same thing, so some level of compromise is in the cards. Rather than close yourself off to your ex, see if you can talk out any disagreements to settle on a schedule that works for all parties involved.
Co-parenting and the holidays don’t often mix. There’s always a chance that you could run into an issue that’s causing a huge divide between you and your ex. If you’re unable to work things out, rely on the language in your parenting agreement to guide you. Furthermore, don’t hesitate to learn more about your legal rights, such as if your ex continually violates the parenting agreement or is simply being unreasonable.