Children look forward to Halloween all year. They spend months conjuring up costume ideas, trying to decide who they want to be and what will inspire awe and jealousy in their friends. Most of all, they look forward to trick-or-treating and feasting on excessive amounts of candy during this once-a-year opportunity. If you were recently divorced, partaking in this time-honored tradition will require some creative problem-solving techniques. To help you co-parent your way through this spooktacular time of year, we compiled a list of tips.
Avoid Real-Life Scares this Year
As much as we all love a good scare, no one wants to experience any real horrors this Halloween. However, if you and your former spouse are not on good terms, you might end up at each other’s throats. Instead of going for the jugular, save it for the vampires, and do your best to work together to make this day special for your children.
Here are some helpful trick-or-treating tips for your ghouls and goblins:
- Share it: Trick-or-treating is not an all-day event. It will last a few hours at most, so if you can set aside your feelings for a short period of time, do so for the benefit of your children. Keep your attention on their safety and wellbeing rather than on your former spouse. Make sure they do not run out onto the road or dip into their sugary loot until after you all return home.
- Split it: If you cannot fathom the idea of sharing Halloween with your co-parent, consider splitting up trick-or-treating duties. The children can begin trick-or-treating with you in your neighborhood and then you can drop them off at your ex’s, giving them a chance to trick-or-treat in two neighborhoods.
- Start a new tradition: If both of the aforementioned options are impractical, consider celebrating Halloween on another day. Although this will mean missing out on trick-or-treating, you and your former spouse can alternate between years. During the years when you cannot trick-or-treat with the children, start a new tradition. Find out what sort of local Halloween-themed activities are available in your area. You could take the kids to a pumpkin patch, an age-appropriate haunted house, or a corn maze. Keep in mind, Halloween does not have to be a one-day event. You can plan a whole calendar of little activities to celebrate this spooky month.
Regardless of the option you choose, remember to focus on the happiness and wellbeing of your children. Divorce is a difficult experience for children to endure, so do your best to keep the spirit of this cherished holiday alive for them.
Reach Out to a Family Law Attorney Today!
Although divorced parents do what they can to resolve their child custody obstacles without turning to the court for assistance, some issues simply cannot be resolved any other way. If you need legal assistance to handle your child custody issues, contact the team at Smith Law Offices, LLC for the knowledgeable legal representation you need. With over 50 years of collective experience, you can trust that our firm has what it takes to achieve the results you are seeking.
Contact us today at (636) 400-1177 to schedule a consultation with a member of our team.