Family Law Blog

HO, HO, HO. WHERE’S THE SNOW?

Although it’s still 80 degrees in Florida right now, the holidays are upon us.  Each year retailers keep pushing back the date for colorful displays and shopping bargains.  In the blink of an eye, Halloween and Thanksgiving have passed and Christmas and Chanukah will soon be here.   Usually a joyous time of the year, many people going through a divorce just want to pull the bedcovers over their heads and shout, “Bah. Humbug.”  Like it or not, however, life must go on, especially for children whose parents are in the midst of the throes of legal divorce action.  So what best to do to make the holidays seem normal and dare we say special?

One step you can and probably should take is to speak to your child before the holiday approaches.  Explain to your child where he or she will be spending the holiday. Reassure your child that both you and your spouse still love him or her and although you are not an intact family anymore, the holidays can still be a magical time.   If your child will be spending all of the holiday with your wife, for example, make plans to hold an alternate celebration at another date so that you can your child can spend time together.

Some families may want to celebrate the holidays jointly like Devon and Greg.  They have a son, Sean, who is thirteen years old.  Sean will be spending Christmas Eve with his mother as well as Christmas Day.  Devon has invited Greg over to her home for a few hours on Christmas Day so that he can also spend time with their son.  While this arrangement may work for some families, it will not be suitable for everyone.

As the holidays are upon us stop and think about how to make your child’s holiday a memorable occasion this year.

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