This is the time of year when many divorced families start to bicker over holiday plans, fall sports and activities and schedules. If you are dealing with children and divorce battles you may feel like you are all alone, however, even married couples with kids argue more this time of year. The fall season is a natural time for moods to deteriorate slightly. This mood change is due to several factors including changes in the amount of sunlight that we are exposed to, colds and illnesses brought on by changing temperatures and weather conditions and added stress caused by work, school and holidays.
If you want to avoid the land mines of divorced family life during this fall season then there are steps that you can take. First of all take care of your family’s health. Take your vitamins, drink plenty of liquids, eat vegetables and whole grains. Also get in some exercise at least three times a week. These simple changes to your routine will stave of illness and help you to reduce stress.
The next step is to plan ahead for the holidays. More conflicts are going to develop if you leave your planning to the last minute. While some things you can’t plan ahead for, most holiday activities can be preplanned. For example, make your arrangements for who has the kids on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years by the end of October. This will give you time to make changes to your work schedule or to plan special activities. This will also give you a buffer in case you need to alter your visitation schedules because of emergencies or changes in plans.
