Everyone wants a happy holiday, especially if you are a parent because a happy holiday for you means your children are having a great time too. However, the Christmas season is incredibly challenging for most single parents.
Forget the five gold rings—use these five tips instead
Luckily, there are several ways that single parents can spruce up the holiday season. However, some of the easiest ways to keep the Christmas spirit alive is:
- Prepare and plan early on – Parents can be proactive by making plans before the holiday season rolls around and prepare what they need to keep the Christmas season festive in their household. For example, discuss with your co-parent what days you may need over the holiday break and then plan one activity for each of your days.
- Prioritize quality time over a quantity of time – Most single parents only have a specific amount of time to spend with their kids, whether it’s work or because they have a co-parent. Either way, you need to shift your thinking from spending a lot of time with your kids to making the most with the time you have. Everyone will be in a better mood for it.
- Establish new traditions – Every family incorporates some traditions during the holiday season, but it can be challenging if this is your first holiday as a single parent. Find something new that could become a new activity for your family to look forward to, whether that’s baking cookies or going ice skating.
- Spread holiday cheer to your co-parent – It’s challenging to share time with a co-parent, especially during special holidays. Offer to spread the cheer and send photos of your kids to your co-parent when they visit Santa or open presents. It lets them feel included and shows that you are a thoughtful parenting partner.
- Reach out to others when you can – If your kids aren’t around during all the festivities, try to reach out to friends and family to celebrate. You may find that it creates stronger bonds between you and your support system.
Don’t be afraid of the holiday season. It can still be a cheerful time of year for you and your entire family; you need to take extra steps to put yourself into the spirit.
WARNING: THIS IS A GENERAL DISCUSSION OF LAW AND IS NOT INTENDED TO BE LEGAL ADVICE. FOR ANY LEGAL QUESTIONS PLEASE CONTACT OUR OFFICE AND SPEAK TO AN ATTORNEY.
