Holding it together: post separation parenting in the festive season

With Christmas fast approaching, we are all in the midst of making Christmas arrangements for our families. For those of you who are planning Christmas for children with two separate households, Christmas will have its own challenges. You may find yourself renegotiating Christmas arrangements with your ex-partner every year. For separated parents, each year brings with it new circumstances that make negotiations more difficult, such as you or your ex re-partnering or plans to travel interstate or overseas.

In our experience, if everyone knows what the arrangements are well ahead of time, then there is less likely to be conflict on what should be a special day. We know that families that have a written agreement setting out how Christmas may be spent avoid much of the conflict that arises from renegotiating arrangements from year to year. Written agreements create clear expectations and certainty surrounding the day’s events. They also benefit your children who know beforehand what the arrangements will be, allowing everyone to enjoy the holiday season.

We understand that every family is unique and can help you to create an agreement which caters for your family’s particular needs. If communicating with your ex-partner about the arrangements for your children is becoming difficult, then it may be time to seek help with making sound plans for you and your family.