It’s holiday time. If you have children, you have one thing to think about: “Is my behavior hurting the kids?” It’s that easy.
Okay, so it’s not easy. I get that. There’s a shortage of time and an abundance of pressure for everything to be perfect. My best suggestion is to invent traditions. During and after parents separate there is no way to do everything you did before. You will share the holiday parenting with the other parent and so you won’t be able to have all the same traditions as when you were together. Pick a day a week or so before or after the holidays and do something special. You can repeat this every year and have a special day with your kids without the mania. You still get to have holiday traditions and fun with your family, it may just look a little different. But a special day of sledding, ice skating, or baking may be a great way to have an extra tradition with your kids that’s just yours and theirs.
Also, check out this article: http://www.cnn.com/2011/12/21/living/holiday-survival-divorced-darents/index.html?hpt=hp_bn8 on CNN and get some more ideas.
Happy Holidays.