Published: December 06, 2006 10:25 am         

Helping Children of Divorce Around the Holidays

For divorced parents, deciding on how to approach the holiday season can be a tough call. The best approach is to remember the holidays should be a special time for kids, so consider the following when mapping out your holiday plans.



· Keep communication lines open: Keep your children abreast of the holiday plans, and decide well in advance where they'll be spending the holiday. That way, they'll have something to look forward to as the season wears on.



· Plan an extra holiday: Kids will love the notion of having two holiday celebrations, and it affords both parents the chance to spend the holidays with their children. It also lets kids know they're an important part of both their parents' lives.



· Consider spending the holidays together: This option could be especially valuable to families that have recently gone through a divorce. Children find it especially hard to adjust to their first holidays not spent with the whole family, so if it's possible for both parents to spend the holiday together, give it a try. Typically, this works best when the non-custodial parent comes over.



· Keep in touch: The parent who is not spending the holiday with the children should still make contact on the holiday to wish them a happy holiday. This is two-fold: it will let the children know you miss them and it will also help you deal with some of your own loneliness.



· Keep your own schedule busy: While it's difficult for kids to spend the holidays without one of their parents, it's hard for parents just the same. To quell some of the loneliness you're likely to feel, consider attending a church service or public celebration. You might want to spend the holiday with friends or members of your own extended family as well.