Tips to Surviving the Holidays for Single Fathers
The holidays are often a bittersweet time for single parents. This is the time of the year when family is stressed on more than any other time. Single parents may feel guilty, and find themselves battling negative feelings during the holidays.
If you are a single father, Los Angeles family lawyers advise that you have all your visitation dates, pick up and drop off details, and other details about the holiday schedule planned out well in advance. It's a good idea to have a conference with your ex-wife just before the holiday season begins, to make sure that you're both on the same page when it comes to children's visitation and plans for the holidays.
Make sure that you know exactly when the children will be with you. Plan celebrations that are simple, intimate, and prioritize the happiness of the children. Children look forward to the holidays, and the last thing they want to do is celebrate with far too many people that they don't know, or don't like.
If this is your first holiday after the divorce, invite the children to start a new holiday tradition or holiday ritual. This could be a ritual that you establish for you and your children, and it could be the start of something that continues every year. It could be something as simple as helping with cooking the holiday meal, or volunteering at a local shelter. Whatever you plan to do, make sure that it's something that the children will enjoy.
Don't overdose on guilt, and buy your children too-expensive gifts. Remember, your children are probably not spending as much time with you since the divorce as they would like to, and what they need the most during the holiday is your time and love.