On their own, divorced couples would likely never consider having a holiday celebration together, such as getting together on Christmas. But for divorced parents, they understand that the Christmas holidays are very special for their children. They may be wondering – maybe the children have even asked – if they can celebrate Christmas together.
First and foremost, you certainly can do this. The three basic options for custody over the holidays are to alternate years, split up the day itself or have a celebration together. Alternating years can be difficult because you miss large chunks of time, and splitting up the day may be difficult because it adds a lot of scheduling stress and driving time. In this light, spending the day together does seem like a feasible option. But are there any downsides?
Considering the stress levels
Essentially, as long as you’re adhering to your legal custody agreement, there’s no problem with spending the day with your children and your ex. You just have to determine if you and your ex will be able to do this or if the stress levels of doing so will be too high, meaning the children will not enjoy the holiday.
Co-parents who are on good terms may find it possible to spend the day together, but other co-parents may just think that the relationship was too damaged by things like infidelity or statements made during the divorce. And that’s completely fine. If you believe it will be too difficult, then spending the holidays together probably isn’t better for your children anyway, because they are going to be exposed to that stress.
So, either decision can be the correct one. You just have to decide what will work for you and your family. Throughout all of this, be sure you’re also keeping your legal rights as a parent in mind.
