Christmas time is so special for children and can be a stressful time for parents. For those separated and co-parenting, this time of year can really add to the pressure. Good communication between you and your co-parent now will help ease the way through the holidays. Here are our four key tips to help make it easier for everyone.
Planning
We all know how fast time moves, so the earlier you can start those conversations about Christmas plans, the better. Whilst the priority is for both parents, there might be other significant family members, like Grandparents, who also want to ensure they get to see your kids and for more than a quick pop-in visit.
We recommend the Our Family Wizard App to help with planning, which features a shared calendar and messaging options to centralise communication.
Where things are more challenging, reach out to our Family Team for support to help create a parenting plan to clarify how Christmas time and other holidays will work.
Enjoying Festivities
We all know how important those school events are around Christmas, and there are usually quite a few. Don’t forget to make sure the other parent knows about these days and times, so they don’t miss out on any big moments from the school nativity.
If they are not free, maybe consider sharing some photos of the special event.
For other key festivities, like seeing Santa and other big Christmas festivities, let the other parent know your plans so they are not repeating this and could maybe do another fun activity.
Presents
For the children, it is all about the presents. If possible, get together with the other parent to agree on the presents to avoid duplication, gifts that would cause any conflict or any best-present battles. The focus should remain for the child and a present they would want.
Think too about helping the children with a special gift for the other parent and other significant family members.
On the day
If the children are spending the full day with one parent, consider making sure the children can FaceTime them instead.
Remember to let the children know they are totally free to enjoy the time they spend with both parents, guilt-free. They might be worried about you, so reassure them, even if that’s really hard.
If you are struggling and would like some support to create a formal childcare arrangement plan, please get in touch with our Family Team for a free initial consultation.
