Fort Lauderdale Child Time-Sharing Strategies To Get Through The Holidays

For some, the holidays are the ‘most wonderful time of the year.’ For others, particularly parents who have recently gone through a breakup, it emphasizes how much your life has changed and can potentially create conflicts. Having strategies in place can help you navigate the season more successfully. Our Fort Lauderdale divorce lawyer shares tips to make holiday celebrations easier for you and your children.

Adapting Holiday Plans When Parents Live Apart

If you are a parent and recently separated from your partner, getting through the holidays may be a daunting prospect. Regardless of how the relationship ended, there are bound to be feelings of loss. Add in the confusion and other complex feelings your children are experiencing, and it is clear why developing a strategy for the holiday season is important.

The first step is to address practical matters. Under the Florida Statutes, child time-sharing arrangements are generally encouraged. These allow both parents to remain active in the child’s life, and one of the key issues addressed concerns the amount of time each parent gets over the holidays.

When making a Florida parenting plan, there are several options to consider. You may alternate important holidays with your spouse or have your child spend part of the day in one parent’s home before going to the other. In either case, it requires adaptation on your part in order to be a success. Our Fort Lauderdale child-time sharing lawyer recommends these tips:

• Work around your parenting plan: Once an order is issued by the court, you are obligated to follow it.
• Make the best of the situation: Take a realistically positive approach to the season.
• Set reasonable expectations: Time constraints will likely prevent you from engaging in some of your usual holiday activities with your children.
• Get others on board: Include family and friends in holiday preparations and make sure they are on board with your goals of making the best of the season.

Adjusting Your Attitude Towards The Holiday Season

Going through a breakup is always difficult, particularly when there are children involved. If you recently put a parenting plan in place, realize that the holidays are likely to be dramatically different this year. Adjust your attitude in advance, focus on what you do have, and provide the support your children will need. Tips to help in making for a comforting, happy season include:

• Make a list of all the positive things in your life.
• Encourage children to savor all the sights, sounds, and small wonders surrounding this time of year.
• Resist the urge to try and outdo the other parent.
• Respect the past while also starting your own new traditions.

Reach Out To Our Fort Lauderdale Child Time-Sharing Lawyer  

In matters impacting your family, the law office of Vanessa L. Prieto provides the caring support and professional legal representation you need. Reach out and contact our Fort Lauderdale child time-sharing lawyer to request a consultation today.

Sources:

leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0000-0099/0061/Sections/0061.13.html

flcourts.gov/content/download/686031/file_pdf/995a.pdf