Turn a stressful and anxiety-filled time into a happy time by creating new family traditions for yourself and your children. Of course, divorce is very difficult and it takes a lot of time to process and heal. However, this is also an opportunity to start planning a different way of navigating through the holiday season. Planning new traditions is a great way to introduce your children to a new way of celebrating with both parents during holidays. So, read on to see how to create new family traditions after a divorce.
Guidelines to help you co-parent and plan new family traditions
Before you start planning new holiday traditions and making new plans, use these guidelines to help you co-parent with your ex-partner.
- Openly communicate what new traditions you would like to do with your children
- Plan ahead
- Be flexible
- You should split traditions equally and not try to outdo one another
- Talk to your children to see what traditions they would like to do if they have ideas, and with which parent
- Be positive about new changes and traditions
- Reinvent old holiday traditions and see how you can split them up
If you are newly divorced or separated and looking for how to navigate the holiday season. This blog post below can help to give you some tips, advice, and guidance.
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How to Create New Family Traditions After a Divorce
Planning new holiday traditions, or even coming up with ideas can add to your stress. But don’t let it. Keep reading and get some great ideas on the best new family holiday traditions for your family.
Outdoor activities
Outdoor activities are a big hit with the kids. It would be a fun idea for each parent to do one outdoor activity with the children and turn that into a new family tradition that they can look forward to every year. Here are some popular outdoor activities;
- Ice skating at a local holiday pop-up
- Taking a day trip to go sledding, skiing, or tubing
- Building a snowman (make a snowman kit beforehand)
- A walking/driving holiday light display
Indoor activities
There’s also plenty of fun indoor activities where you can create wonderful traditions with your children as well.
- Tree decorating/home decorating
- Making a gingerbread house
- Baking cookies for Santa
- Plan a game night
- Holiday movie and hot chocolate
- Holiday breakfast
- Holiday pajama day/living room camping
Holiday events and activities
There are obviously lots of things to see and do during the holidays and it’s really important to split up big holiday activities equally between both co-parents. For example, taking the kids to see Santa is a big thing and a big deal for kids. Is this something that one parent will always do or will you switch each year? If one parent is taking the kids to see Santa then maybe the other parent can take the kids to a holiday play or musical. Here are some ideas.
- Visit Santa
- Holiday play or musical
- Shopping for new ornaments or decorations
- Attend a tree lighting ceremony
- Go listen to carolers
- Attend a holiday tea
- Take the kids to a Santa’s village, holiday pop-up, or festival
- Go on a holiday train
Traditions for when you don’t have the children
Being on your own is extremely difficult during the holidays. Of course, you want to be with the children for every holiday and every event. However, it’s important to take care of yourself and not to let yourself get down. So, when you don’t have your children you should take time for yourself, make some of your own traditions, and practice self-care. Here are some things to do for yourself during the holidays.
- Visit your family members without the children
- Plan a dinner or night out with your friends
- Pamper yourself
- Go to an adult holiday event
- Donate your time to charity
- Plan a quick trip away
