One difficult aspect of child custody cases that many parents have is that they can’t stand the thought of the kids spending holidays with their ex. This isn’t something that can be easily rectified since both parents will want the children on those special days. You might be able to do one thing to help minimize the impact this has on you – create alternate holidays for you to celebrate with the kids.
We know that this isn’t ideal, but sometimes, kids look forward to unique traditions more than the traditional ones. One example of something you can do involves Christmas. If your ex has the kids for this holiday, you might want to start a “Second Christmas” celebration. Maybe you can go shopping with them the day after Christmas to catch some of the things they want on sale.
By doing this, you can save some money on the must-have gifts. You can also ensure that your kids aren’t getting duplicate presents since you will know what they have already received from other family members.
The holidays aren’t the only time that you can set special traditions. Maybe you can set up something like a family pajama day once a month during which you just stay at home in your nightclothes and play games or watch movies.
Your ex might also have some special traditions with the kids. Remember that as long as they are happy and healthy, you can encourage them to embrace the different activities at each home. Having guidelines set in the parenting plan can help to keep the situation under control.