Now that you have your holiday schedule for child custody decided, you need to make plans for when your children are with you. This can be almost as challenging as trying to figure out the schedule. If your kids are old enough, allow them to provide input about what they would like to do to celebrate.
Since you only have to worry about you and the kids this holiday season, you can try to focus on things that everyone will enjoy that will make good memories for them. This doesn’t mean that you have to fill every second with activity. Sometimes, the best memories are just relaxing at home and enjoying each other’s company.
There are times when you might feel the need to take a step back. Allow yourself leeway to do this. You never know what might trigger negative feelings of grief for you or your kids. As you find out what triggers these feelings, you can make a plan to address them in the future.
Prepare yourself for the kids wanting to share their memories with you. They might tell you about what they did with their other parent. They aren’t doing this to make you uncomfortable, so enjoy hearing about the good memories they are making with the other part of their family.
Finally, remember that the holidays aren’t a competition. You and your ex can both have fun with the children in your own way. Don’t stress if your ex does more or does things differently from you. As long as your children are healthy, happy and safe and the parenting plan is being followed, you can enjoy the season.