The holiday season can be especially stressful for a parent in Pennsylvania who has recently ended a marriage. The good news is that there are ways for families to come together to have a happy holiday season even if they lack a traditional structure.
Parents will ideally collaborate to create a schedule that is in the best interests of their children. This typically means that parents will do their best to continue holiday traditions. Those who cannot continue past traditions for any reason are encouraged to start new traditions with their kids. These traditions could include celebrating holidays on different days or otherwise finding time for both parents to spend with a child. It’s important to note that both parents and children can feel isolated if they aren’t allowed to see each other.
It’s also worth noting that children generally don’t care when they get to celebrate a holiday or receive a gift from a parent. Therefore, it isn’t a big deal to incorporate a level of flexibility into a holiday plan. Collaborative divorce professionals say that creating a detailed plan that takes everyone’s feelings into account can be the best way to reduce stress and conflict.
With help from an alternative dispute resolution lawyer, it may be easier to avoid conflict with an ex-spouse. An attorney can help a parent create detailed plans that will determine who gets to spend time with a child. The more details a plan has, the easier it may be to resolve disputes. This may benefit parents and children alike because conflicts are more likely to be resolved in a mature manner.