.2112021247550.jpg)
Whether it’s your first holiday season as a divorced parent or you have been co-parenting with your former spouse for a while, one issue that many divorced couples face is how to handle gift-giving when it comes to their kids. Fortunately, there are solutions to this problem that have worked for many other divorced parents.
How Should Divorced Parents Handle Gift-Giving During the Holidays?
When it comes to holiday gift-giving, as divorced parents, you just want to avoid extremes. This means avoiding having one parent carry the bulk of the gift-giving load. It also means avoiding gift-giving competitions where you each try to outdo the other, which can put you, your ex-spouse, and your children in an uncomfortable position. The following are a few co-parenting tips for how to handle gift-giving during the holiday season as divorced parents:
- Do Coordinate – If you have this type of relationship, check with your co-parent to make sure you’re not buying the kids the same gifts. During this time, you could also join forces with your co-parent on any expensive gifts, so that neither of you must break your budget to make your children’s holiday wishes a reality.
- Don’t Undermine – Don’t buy gifts for your kids that undermine decisions your co-parent has made. For instance, if your children want a puppy, but your co-parent has told them no, don’t just go out and get them a puppy anyway. If you really want to get the kids a puppy, discuss it with your co-parent and see if you two can come to an arrangement, such as having the puppy live with you fulltime, so that your co-parent never has to deal with it.
- Do Be Flexible – In many cases, your kids are going to want to take their gifts with them wherever they go. So, don’t stand in their way. For example, if you buy your kids a gaming system, unless you have a good reason, don’t make them keep it at your place if they want to take it with them to your co-parent’s home when they’re staying over there. It belongs to them, so they should be able to take it with them if they want to, depending on the circumstances.
- Don’t Compete – Don’t make gift-giving a competition. That isn’t the spirit of the holiday season. Plus, children are more perceptive than we give them credit for, and due to that fact, they will often recognize when you and your ex are in a gift-giving competition. They could grow to resent it because it could appear to them like you and your co-parent are attempting to buy their love.
Facing Divorce, Child Custody, Child Support, or Co-Parenting Issues This Holiday Season? Contact Us Now!
At Rech Law, P.C., we have seen how difficult the holiday season can be on families following divorce. Our team of family law attorneys hate to see divorced parents and their children suffer, especially if it involves solvable problems, like co-parenting disagreements, child custody arrangements, and child support dispute resolution. Our top focus is always doing what’s best for our clients and their kids, but we also try to find solutions that benefit all parties involved whenever possible. To learn more about Rech Law, P.C., and how we can help you with a wide variety of family law issues, read our clients’ testimonials.
Call us at (704) 659-0007 or contact us online today to schedule a confidential consultation with our experienced co-parenting plan, child support, and child custody lawyers in Charlotte.