And tragedy!
This article on parenting in divorce definitely hit home because of the unwillingness to be flexible enough to afford travel. Read here. This section was especially appropriate:
How to Make the Holidays About Your Children; Not About Your Visitation Order:
- Be Flexible:
At no time is it more important to be flexible with a visitation schedule than during the holidays. A visitation schedule may be court ordered but it isn’t written in stone and no judge is going to find fault with two parents willing to work together in an attempt to make their children happy.
If your ex has family in from out of town on your scheduled visitation day be willing to compromise. Your ex’s family is also your children’s family. As a parent it is our duty to go out of our way to assure that our children have a connection with not only our family but our ex’s family. This can only be done if you are willing to sacrifice what you want in favor of what your children need.
Holidays are about love, connecting with family and nurturing our spirits. Rather than focusing on your ex spouse's past behaviors and whether or not you feel he/she deserves time with the children, focus on your children. This is done by taking responsibility for your own discomfort. Being an adult who can deal with a bit of pain if it means your children not having to pay the price for their parent’s divorce.A little common sense can go a long way.
Great post. Thanks for sharing this great advice. Obviously it is needed because some people cannot see past their own discomfort in order to do what is right for their children. It really is a tragedy, especially when the controlling parent thinks they are "sending a message" to the other one, because it's the children who really suffer.
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