Keeping the Holidays Peaceful After Separation: Real-World Co-Parenting Advice

The holidays are supposed to be magical, but for separated or divorced parents they can also be a minefield of schedules, expectations, and hurt feelings. In this episode of JGL LAW FOR YOU, family law attorneys and JGL principals David Bulitt and Christopher Castellano discuss how to navigate Thanksgiving, winter break, Christmas, and spring break in a way that keeps the focus where it belongs: on your kids.

David and Christopher dig into the real friction points they see every year in their practice: last-minute schedule changes, split holidays, travel plans, gift-giving “arms races,” and the challenges of two households with very different resources and traditions. They offer practical strategies for communicating with your co-parent, honoring old traditions while creating new ones, managing expectations with your children, and staying flexible when life (or the school calendar) doesn’t cooperate.

Whether you’re in the middle of a divorce, recently separated, or years into co-parenting, this conversation will help you plan ahead, reduce conflict, and build holiday memories your children will want to remember.