When you hark back to your childhood memories of the holidays, hopefully, there are good ones. You want your children to have happy childhood memories of your own family’s holidays, too.
But what happens when the parents split? Of course, divorce will change your nuclear family’s traditional celebrations with both parents. But that doesn’t mean that you still can’t make great holiday memories for the kids. Below are some tips to help you do this.
Work together to determine holiday plans
Continuity is important to children. As you mediate your divorce, you can hash out which days the kids will spend with each parent and their extended family members on that side. For instance, some families treat Thanksgiving as a family homecoming holiday where families travel from all over the country to their parents’ or grandparents’ homes.
The winter holidays for these groups may be more intimate gatherings of just their nuclear family members. You can share your concerns about the upcoming holidays with the mediator. If it is more important to you to have the kids for an extended family Thanksgiving, maybe you can concede some extra time over the December holidays.
Mediation can dial back the anger
By working with a mediator, you are not forced to negotiate directly with the spouse you are divorcing. Mediators can present viable solutions without bringing all the marital baggage to the table. You can share your expectations with the mediator, and they can help lead both of you to workable compromises.
Mediating your divorce can preserve relationships
After a scorched-earth divorce, it’s a real challenge to cooperate with a former spouse for shared celebrations like kids’ birthdays and academic milestones. Mediation allows you to save a semblance of your former relationship and remain civil during these brief encounters.
Is mediation right for you?
Everyone’s circumstances are different, so learning more about the mediation process can help you make an informed decision as to whether it’s the right choice for you.