Divorce can be a difficult experience for a child to watch their parents go through. It can even sour some holidays for children. But it doesn’t have to be that way! If your kid is crazy about Halloween, you can still help them create great memories with the right approach to co-parenting.
How Is Halloween Split For Custody?
If you and your ex still live close to one another, you may be able to split parenting duties on Halloween. The main event for most parents when it comes to Halloween is trick-or-treating. Some parents may have their child trick-or-treat with one for some time and then trick-or-treat with the other after. If your family does other things to celebrate Halloween, splitting those activities up accordingly is good practice for parents with joint custody.
If you and your ex live far apart, you may have to work out an arrangement where your child spends Halloween with one parent one year and the other parent the next.
Should Divorced Parents Celebrate Holidays Together?
Whether divorce parents spend the holidays together is ultimately up to them. Keep in mind that sharing holidays can offer several benefits for a co-parenting relationship. Both parents get to spend time with the child, there’s no worrying about a transfer, and your child may be happier to spend the day with both parents. If you have a good relationship with your ex, consider spending holidays together with your child when you can.
What Makes For Successful Co-Parenting After Divorce?
Successful co-parenting looks different for every family. However, there are some things you can do to ensure a better co-parenting relationship after divorce.
- Communication. Constant, quality communication about your child is key to co-parenting after divorce. Strong communication ensures each parent knows what is happening in the child’s life at any time.
- Set Rules. It may seem odd, but setting up some ground rules with your ex is good practice for co-parenting. For example, you may agree to talk respectfully about one another to your child.
- Mutual Respect. Despite whatever emotional feelings you may have towards your ex, respecting each other will allow you to successfully co-parent your child and make decisions together.
- Support. Parenting isn’t easy, and sometimes no one understands your child better than their other parent. Finding ways to support one another as you co-parent, even after divorce, is good practice.
Is Halloween Considered A Major Holiday?
Halloween isn’t a Federal holiday where offices and schools are closed. Still, there are a lot of people who are crazy about Halloween. For some families, Halloween is the biggest holiday of the year. If that’s you, successful co-parenting on Halloween is even more important.
Fun Halloween Activities For Kids
If you’re thinking of some activities you can do with your kids on Halloween, here are some fun ideas that they’ll love:
- Trick-or-treating
- Carving pumpkins
- Watching scary movies
- A Halloween party with friends
- Wearing costumes
- Telling scary stories
- Going to a haunted house
- Visiting a corn maze
Thinking About Divorce? Try Mediation
If you and your spouse are considering divorce but want a process that is mutual, friendly, and respectful, you may consider mediation. When it comes to kids, mediation is often better for them since there’s no courtroom or judgeinvolved, and both parents work together to reach an agreement that is best for everyone.
With nearly two decades of experience in divorce, Affordable Mediation offers a blended approach to divorce mediation. Our style is to approach divorce mediation using a counseling lens, with the aim of having families emerge from a divorce better than they were before. Download our free Divorce Mediation Preparation Checklist to learn more about divorce mediation. And, if you are ready to hire a mediator, give us a call at 602-714-7447.