“Parents are often aware that a divorce or separation will happen well before their children, so this will be brand new information for them to process.” Learn more about supporting anxious kids during divorce with Heather Barnett, MA, LPC, and Chief Program Officer at Kids In The Middle!

It’s okay to dread the holidays.

Holiday season can bring on a lot of anxiety. You might be gearing up for extended family to come stay with you, preparing big feasts, packing for a trip or helping your kids study for their last few finals of the semester. It seems like the last few months of the year always go by the fastest and there isn’t a lot of time to relax. This time can be especially overwhelming for families with divorced parents.

Even if you have a great relationship with your ex, the holidays can bring up a lot of emotions for you and your kids.

There’s no one-size-fits all model when it comes to how to approach the holidays with your kids. Even if you have a custody agreement of where they spend their time, you might notice irritability, angry outbursts, tension and sadness more often than usual. It can be tough and even frustrating at times to get them to “be on their best behavior.”