6 Ideas for How to Co-Parent During Mother’s Day and Father’s Day
Mother’s Day and Father’s Day can be difficult for divorced or divorcing parents. Here are 6 ideas for how to co-parent during Mother’s Day and Father’s Day:
Be flexible with parenting time. Hopefully your attorney made sure that you have parenting time with your child on the holiday that is meant to honor you as a mom or dad. If that isn’t the case, and the Mother’s Day or Father’s Day does not coincide with your parenting time, reach out to the other parent. They may surprise you. However, keep in mind that any change to the parenting plan is unenforceable without a court order.
You may want to consider modifying the holiday section of your parenting plan to avoid this issue going forward.
Help your child make or buy a gift. It may be hard to put aside personal feelings, but think of this as a gift for your child—you are really honoring the bond between you and your child.
Be a good role model. Try to be thoughtful in selecting a gift for your ex. The goal is to teach your child the satisfaction of gift giving. Ask your child to think about what his mom or dad might like. Caution: if your ex hates perfume, don’t steer your child to pick out a bottle of the most fragrant perfume. Spite gifts are worse than no gifts at all!
It’s not about the dollar amount of the gift. You may be unwilling or unable to spend money on your ex and that’s okay! Help your child create a DIY gift—moms and dads love handmade cards and poems.
What goes around comes around. Don’t you hope that your ex will put aside personal drama on your special day? I like to think that kindness is just as likely to be reciprocated as animosity. In addition, by assisting your child make a gift or card for your ex, you are setting the tone for a good co-parenting relationship.
Show your child you are still a family. When you celebrate your ex, you are reassuring your child that even if mommy and daddy are not still married, you remain a family. Your child might be anxious about what holidays will look like now that his or her parents are no longer together. Provide your child with reassurance that they can come to you for anything—even if it means buying your ex a bouquet of her favorite flowers.
Lennon, Giovinazzo & Steele Family Law attorneys have the knowledge and experience to help with any family law issues. Contact us at 404.726.8501 or visit our website at www.lgsfamilylaw.com to schedule a consultation.