In an ideal world, every child would get to experience the joy of Christmas morning with both of his or her parents, but sadly, 'ideal' is not always what children get. According to the American Psychological Association, 90% of people marry before the age of 50, but 40 to 50% of those unions (at least, those that occur in the U.S.) end in divorce. As of November 17, 2016, 69% of children (those 18 or younger) lived with two parents; however, that percentage sharply decreased since 1960, when the percentage hovered at 88%. It is becoming the norm for children to grow up in a split household, but just because it is the norm, does that mean it is any easier? At Clark Law Groups, we know that it is not-especially during the holidays.
The Challenges Posed by the Holidays, and How You Can Overcome Them
Divorce forces couples to think about things they never would have given a second thought to before, one of which is, how do we split up the holidays? Who gets the child on Christmas Eve, and who gets to wake up with them on Christmas morning? Should they split the day, 50/50, or do every other year? Which parent gets to uphold which family traditions? How do the parents make sure that the child does not miss out on family time with either set of grandparents and cousins, aunts and uncles?
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