How to Skip the Fight With Your Ex This Holiday Season

When two parents share custody of their children, it’s inevitable that they will have to meet every so often. Unfortunately, during the holiday season these meetups can turn distasteful if both parents fight over what is best for the children. Rather than going to great lengths to avoid your ex (which in the end may prove futile), the Law Offices of Michael B. Brehne, P.A. would like to offer you some tips from our Altamonte Springs child custody attorneys and Orlando divorce attorneys to either avoid or defuse any possible arguments with your ex during the holidays.

’Tis the Season to Be Jolly — Here’s How to Keep It That Way

Set a Schedule As Early As Possible

One of the most important things for you and your ex-spouse this holiday season is to have a clear and set schedule with your children. We understand that both parents want to be with their children during the holidays which leads to two possible solutions.

If you and your ex-spouse can be civil in the same room, then discuss the possibility of one family gathering with your children. If you both decide on this, be clear and flexible with your schedules to ensure that both sides of the family can attend and that you are both aware of the event’s details.

If you and your ex-spouse do not get along, consider dividing up the holidays and celebrations to allow for both of you to spend time with your children. Be very clear with scheduling and try not to stray from the agreed-upon schedule to avoid disagreements.

Keep Your Children in the Loop

Clarity of your plans is not only for your ex-spouse’s sake but for the sake of your children, too. Let your children have a voice and provide their opinions on gatherings and traditions — it can make or break the holiday celebrations. Once you’ve agreed on a schedule with your ex-spouse, discuss the schedule with your children so they understand what will be happening.

Prepare for Difficult Family Members

Tension between family members is a natural result of divorce. Try to plan around this by creating separate events for each family. This will avoid future arguments with your ex-spouse about how so-and-so from his/her family is ruining everything. If separate family gatherings aren’t an option, then prepare for difficult people in advance. Imagine the kind of things they might say and practice handling those comments gracefully in order to remain calm when the time does come. If an argument does arise, try to let the person know that you understand his/her point of view and defer the conversation to a later time to allow for the problem to dissipate. Remember, fighting affects you, your ex-spouse, your surrounding family and most importantly your children.

Divorce Attorneys in Orlando, FL

The holidays can be a magical time but rarely are they flawless. Don’t try to imagine the perfect scenario and then bring it to life, instead allow for some leeway and minor hiccups. Set realistic expectations for yourself and everyone else, this will allow for the holidays to flow more smoothly without any major problem from you, your ex-spouse, or your children. The Law Offices of Michael B. Brehne, P.A. wishes you a happy holiday season and we remind you that we are here to help you and your children when it comes to forming time sharing agreements and custody scheduling. Contact our offices today for dependable divorce attorneys in Orlando.