christmas Archives - Ohio Family Law Blog

Christmas Parenting Time Tips

Tips for Managing Holiday Parenting Schedules

Since we are now into the month of November, it is not too early for divorced and divorcing parents to look ahead to the upcoming Christmas Holiday. Here are some “tips” regarding the “nuts and bolts” of handling the holiday parenting schedules effectively.

Read and examine the Parenting Time Schedule for your particular County which should be attached as part of your Final Decree or Court Judgment. The Domestic Relations Court and Juvenile Court of each County have differing schedules. If your parenting time schedule has been lost or misplaced, you can obtain a replacement from your attorney’s office or the clerk where your order was filed. Remember, the one attached to your Final Court Order controls, not a more recent one which may have been subsequently adopted by the Court.

For example, Montgomery County, Ohio, currently has the following provision as to the Christmas Break:

CHRISTMAS BREAK: In all even-numbered years, the residential parent shall have the children from 9:00 a.m. the day after school recesses (or 9:00 a.m. on December 20 if the children are not in school), until 9:00 p.m. December 24 and the non-residential parent shall have the children from … Read More... “Christmas Parenting Time Tips”

Thinking About a Divorce for the New Year?

PUBLISHER’S NOTE: I have updated a Blog post from January 20, 2018 and reposted it to include some newer blogs about divorce in the new year. Please check all of them out! We hope you and your family have a peaceful and joyous New Year!

A Must-Read Guide For Couples Thinking About A Divorce In The New Year

Experts say that January is the most popular month of the year for couples to file for divorce in Ohio. With the hustle and bustle of the holidays (Thanksgiving and Christmas), it is common for couples to put off their divorce plans until after the first of the year. Even though many couples are struggling with their marriage before the holiday season, they tend to push back getting a divorce to make the holidays more enjoyable and memorable for their kids.

According to Cathy Meyer, who founded DivorcedWomenOnline.com and is a certified divorce consultant stated, “Dissatisfied husbands and wives begin searching for information on divorce immediately after the holidays”. She has experienced a huge increase in page views and searches the day after Christmas. People start looking for information before the New Year starts, but they cannot do much until the … Read More... “Thinking About a Divorce for the New Year?”

Ho- Ho- Ho-Holiday Tips for Stress Free Parenting

How to Make the Holidays a Happy Time for you and your Children After Divorce

Holidays are a joyous time. Christmas or Hanukah can be most memorable for both adults and children, but they are especially magical moments for children. However, as adults who are going through a separation, a divorce, or who have already been divorced, the holiday times can be very stressful. I believe that most parents want their children to be happy, but especially so during holiday times. So, what to do to ensure the best possible outcome?

Communication and cooperation are the two main ingredients. The first thing that both Ex’s need to do is to thoroughly review their custody agreement for holidays. Your plan is most likely tailored to what you agreed with at the time of separation, or divorce with your attorney or pursuant to the Court’s Standard Parenting Order. They all vary. Some have elected for shared time during each holiday, and some have agreed to every other holiday. Regardless make sure you know what your Court Order states. It is vital to an easy transition for the kids that you and your Ex are in total agreement as to the … Read More... “Ho- Ho- Ho-Holiday Tips for Stress Free Parenting”

Blast From The Past: Dealing with the Holidays if You Are in Divorce Transition…

A blast from the past 13 years HCMM Law firm

PUBLISHER’S UPDATE: Here is a great post about dealing with the holiday season if you are going through a divorce transition. It is written by Donna F. Ferber from back on September 23rd, 2017! Donna F. Ferber, LPC, LADC is a psychotherapist in private practice for 30 years in Farmington, Connecticut. She is a licensed professional counselor, a licensed alcohol and drug abuse counselor and an educator. In her private practice, Donna specializes in issues related to life transitions. These include but are not limited to divorce, remarriage, chronic illness, loss, relocation. Donna has been a guest contributor to the Ohio Family Law Blog since 2010. We have enjoyed collaborating on several articles over the years. We have a ton of interesting articles in our archives of the Ohio Family Law Blog. Use our Search tool and enjoy a few oldie but goodies!

Divorce Transition: 10 Tips To Cope With The Holiday Season

Every major life event, whether joyful or sad, brings on a period of transition as we adjust to the “new normal.” Even though these periods of transition occur throughout our lives, each requires us to discover a new and unique path as we struggle to move through … Read More... “Blast From The Past: Dealing with the Holidays if You Are in Divorce Transition…”

How to Navigate the Challenges that the Holidays can Bring

Do You Dread Holiday Celebrations And Family Gatherings?

It’s a time of year with many holiday celebrations and gatherings. These are joyous experiences for many, but a difficult time for others. Our lives are not like a Hallmark Channel story with freshly baked cookies, fake snow, and conflicts that always have happy endings.

We know that our happiness comes more from the people whom we love rather than the gifts that we get.

However, past hurts (whether real or imagined) may feel particularly intense right now, in marked contrast to the apparent happiness around us.

Here are some particularly challenging situations.

Divorce. Some kids tell me that they like the fact that their parents are divorced because they get twice as many gifts. Humor hides their pain. Most of them want what they will never get – their mom and dad back together again.

The best gift you can give your children is to develop a business-like relationship with your ex-spouse. You need not forget yesterday’s betrayal and pain. You just need to love your kids more than you dislike your ex-spouse, and put their needs above your anger and anguish.

Call your ex-spouse to work out the holiday visits,

Blast From The Past: Strategies to Make Your Christmas Less Stressful

Blast from the past 13 years Ohio Family Law Blog

Publisher’s Comment: This “Blast from the Past” comes from Psychotherapist Donna F. Ferber. She was kind enough to share this article with us 8 years ago. Excellent advice then and now from Donna!

If this is your first Christmas since the separation and divorce, the anticipation can fill you with sadness and trepidation. Here are some solid, easy tips to help make the holidays less painful and hopefully, maybe, even (surprisingly!) enjoyable!

Let go of traditions that no longer work for you. This is an opportunity to re-invent your holidays. Keep the traditions that you enjoy and get rid of the ones that you don’t. No one expects you to be on your best behavior during this time, so you can probably pull it off without anyone getting too upset.

Stick to your regular routine as closely as possible. Sleep, exercise, eat well and don’t skip those therapy appointments.

Don’t use money, alcohol, food, or sex to deal with pain and sadness. These indulgences will leave you poor, hung over, fat, and guilty on December 26th.

Don’t be afraid to do something different. Go away or stay home, but take a risk to use the holidays to try something … Read More... “Blast From The Past: Strategies to Make Your Christmas Less Stressful”

Take the ‘Gimme’ out of Christmas!

PUBLISHERS NOTE: ‘Tis the season for me to at least think about writing a new blog article for the holidays. I have been publishing the Ohio Family Law Blog for 9 years now, so I decided to go back into the archives and read some of my past posts about the holidays. This one from December 11, 2010, caught my attention. The traditions mentioned in it have continued in our family. The post stands the test of time (at least in my mind). So, here it is once more!

I haven’t written an article about the holiday season for the Ohio Family Law Blog for a couple of years. At that time, I mentioned that this is certainly an appropriate time to reflect upon core values as well as memories of past Christmas celebrations and traditions.

In our family, we were very involved with a Christmas project providing gifts for needy children for many years while our sons were growing up. As a family, we spent countless hours working at the Center. We have tried to instill upon our family the importance of sharing and helping others. It is too easy this time of year to become consumed by all … Read More... “Take the ‘Gimme’ out of Christmas!”