Christmas and divorce.

With Christmas a little over 2 months away, here are our tips to make Christmas and divorce more manageable.

Plan activities that bring you joy and relaxation, whether it’s travelling, planning day trips or spending time with friends; organise something you will enjoy.

Consider volunteering or helping others over Christmas. There are many organisations that would be grateful for your time.

If you and your ex have children together, it is important to start making plans to set expectations and avoid misunderstandings. There are several common ways to celebrate Christmas with children. These include:

Splitting Christmas Day so the children can see both parents. This could work by one parent having the children from Christmas Eve afternoon until Christmas Day noon, and the other from lunchtime until Boxing Day morning.

Alternatively, the children could celebrate full Christmas Days with each parent on a rotating basis, or celebrate 2 “Christmas Days” with each parent on different days.

For couples who are amicable, an option may be to celebrate Christmas Day together with the children.

If your child or children are not with you on Christmas Day it is important to stay connected by arranging a telephone or video call with your child over Christmas.