Thanksgiving is a special time for many American families. Yet family events such as these will be rather different than usual if you are divorcing.
If you have children, you and your co-parent will likely still want this to be a special occasion for them, but how can you handle it if you no longer want to be together as a couple? The following tips can help
Determine where the children will be
Maybe you decide that the kids go with you to your mom’s this year and in exchange, they get to spend Christmas with your co-parent and their side of the family. Perhaps you don’t feel like the whole Thanksgiving thing right now, so agree that your kids can spend this Thanksgiving with your co-parent and you will have them next year when you may be more in the mood to celebrate. There are many ways to split things.
Use video to allow the kids to participate in two separate events
Let’s say your co-parent agrees that you can have the kids this Thanksgiving. Make space in the day so that the children can video call them and that side of the family. Be sure to coordinate timings in advance, as you don’t want people to have to answer the call midway through the main meal or any other event the household traditionally engages in.
Maybe Thanksgiving is the last thing on your mind right now with everything you need to consider related to the divorce. However, if handled well, it can be a great opportunity for parents and children to connect with family and get some much-needed support and joy at a difficult time. Talking about this when planning custody arrangements increases the chance it will go smoothly.
