The holidays can be an especially difficult time for children of divorced parents in Texas. Many memories are made while celebrating the holidays, so it’s understandable that your kids will have a lot of grief during this time. Here are some ways to make this holiday season a little easier.
Be understanding if your child acts out
Your child may act out their grief over the divorce in irrational ways. While they are probably sad about not spending the holidays as a family, they might start crying about something completely different. It’s important to understand that your child may not be able to articulate what’s making them sad.
Try to keep old traditions alive and start new ones
Family traditions are comforting for children, so keeping them alive around the holidays can ease some of the pain of a divorce. You may also be able to start new traditions that can bring joy and comfort to your child in years to come. Your child will probably want to celebrate with both parents regardless of the child custody arrangement, so it’s important to share parenting time.
What if you don’t get parenting time on the actual holiday?
Depending on your custody arrangement, you may or may not have parenting time on special holidays this year. Either way, you can still celebrate the holiday with your child on the days that you do have custody. Holidays can stir up so many old memories, but you can help your child by keeping them engaged with lots of activities. Whether that means going on a trip, attending some events or just watching movies and baking, keep the holidays filled with things to do together.