Celebrating your child’s special milestones can be tricky when you are divorced. Whether it’s a birthday, graduation, senior prom night or any other big event, your child will want to celebrate with both parents. Figuring out how to co-parent through these events will take some effort but it can be done.
Communication is the key to peacefully working out the logistics. Try to set aside your differences and talk with your ex about the situation. You should be able to have a memorable celebration as long as everyone cooperates.
Keep the focus on your child
You and your ex may have to talk with your respective families. Some of them may be harboring ill feelings about the divorce so it’s best to talk with them as soon as possible. Tell them that they are welcome to attend the event if they can put their differences aside for one day. Remind them that the day is about your child and not the situation between co-parents.
Once everyone is on the same page you can start to figure out the details. First, ask your child how they would like to celebrate. They may be worried about bringing both families together and would prefer separate celebrations.
Next, decide how the day will go. If your child is graduating how many tickets are needed? Will everyone sit together or will each parent’s family sit in separate sections? Figuring out the details ahead of time will help to ensure that the day is happy and memorable for everyone.
What if you can’t work together?
Divorce is never easy on families. Sometimes co-parents just cannot get along. If this is the case you may need to revisit your custody agreement.