How to Survive the Holidays When You Do Not Have Your Children

 Posted on December 15,2020 in Parenting Time

When you are a parent, one of the greatest joys in life is spending time with your children. The holiday season is a magical time, especially for children, and seeing the happiness on their faces is a pleasure for many parents. When you share parenting time with your children’s other parent, you are also bound to have to share holiday time with them, too. Spending the holidays without your children can be difficult after you have been used to seeing your children on each and every holiday throughout the year. Unfortunately, having to spend holidays apart from your children is often an inevitable reality for many divorced or separated parents. Even though spending what is supposed to be “the most wonderful time of the year” away from your children does not feel like that at first, it does not have to be as awful as you may think. If this is your first year spending the holidays apart from your kids, here are a few tips to help you through the season:

• Let yourself experience your emotions. You should not be afraid to grieve the first holiday season without your children. This can be a very emotional time for some parents, but the important thing is recognizing your emotions and allowing yourself to process them. This may include crying or talking to a friend or counselor about your feelings. It is helpful to get them out instead of keeping them bottled up inside, which could lead to resentment and bitterness.

• Surround yourself with your support team. Even though you may not be spending every moment with your children this holiday season, that does not mean you cannot see the rest of your family. Getting together with your friends and other family members can be a good way to help you connect with others and not isolate yourself. You may also consider joining a divorce care group in your local community where you can meet people who are going through similar situations. 

• Volunteer at a local nonprofit organization. During the holiday season, there are various charities and organizations whose primary goal is to help people who could use a little bit of extra assistance, such as food banks and homeless shelters. Offering up your time and energy to others is a nice gesture to make during the season of giving and it can also help take your mind off of missing your children.

Our Kendall County Parenting Time Lawyer Is Here to Help

Any time of the year can prove to be challenging for co-parenting, but the holiday season can be particularly difficult -- especially if you share your holiday parenting time with your child’s other parent. Crafting a fair and reasonable schedule during the holidays is easy with the help of a knowledgeable and experienced Oswego divorce attorney. At the Law Office of Matthew M. Williams, P.C., we will work with you and your child’s other parent to create a holiday parenting time schedule that works for your family. To schedule a private consultation, call our office today at 630-409-8184.

Sources:

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/better-divorce/201910/surviving-the-holidays-without-your-kids

https://www.ourfamilywizard.com/blog/alone-holidays-coping-shared-time-during-winter-season

https://esme.com/resources/divorce/the-first-holiday-without-the-kids