Many families in Pennsylvania are about to experience the upcoming Thanksgiving and Christmas Holiday season for the first time since their divorce or separation. Yes, the holiday season may not be the same but it can still be filled with love and laughter and is the opportunity to build new memories and holiday traditions.
Below are some considerations when facing the holiday season for the first time since your divorce or separation.
Make New Traditions
The holidays are sentimental for a lot of people and traditions can provide a sense of grounding for both parents and children alike. However, not every tradition needs to be followed. In the past, you may not have followed every tradition every year. Now is your chance to create fun new traditions. Talk to your kids and see what ideas they may have! This is the chance to make the holidays your own!
Whether you will be spending holidays with or without your kids, connect with your loved ones. There’s no reason why your new traditions cannot include extended family and friends. The holidays don’t need to be perfect. It may help you to let go of the idea of perfection.
Take Care of Yourself
While eating well and getting enough sleep over the holiday season can seem impossible, you should try. The holidays can be exhausting. Spending your first holiday divorced or newly separated can be stressful enough without becoming ill. Taking care of yourself to whatever extent possible will not only preserve your health but will help you push through this difficult time.
As for your kids, make sure they do the same. Let your kids spend some extra time doing the things they enjoy. Taking the time to engage in activities your kids enjoy can improve their emotional health as well as your own.
Put the Children First
Remember that this experience can also be a difficult time of transition for your children as well, so take the time to talk to them about what this holiday will look like compared to those they remember from the past. To this end, it helps to lay out a plan for the holidays so your children can know what to expect and who will be present over the holiday. Please do not ask your children to choose between parents, custody over the holidays should be decided by the adults.
It’s not too late to contact our team of experienced Pennsylvania family law attorneys to discuss your custody concerns and issues regarding the upcoming holiday. Having no custody order or a custody order that does not provide for the holidays can result in disaster. It would be our pleasure to serve you regarding all your family law needs.