Blog
Holidays when you’re the non-residential parent
- holidays
- visitation
- emotions
December and summer can sting. Planning early, creating new traditions, and writing letters for later can soften the empty chair.
Holiday schedules are often fixed years in advance. If this year is theirs with the other home, grieve honestly with adults — not with the child. Then build a tradition that is yours alone: a morning hike, a charity shift, breakfast with friends who get it.
Send something small ahead of time (a book, a playlist, a sealed letter). If a video call is allowed, keep it joyful and brief. Afterward, write a private note in their timeline about the day you still spent loving them from afar.
Next year’s calendar starts now. Put requests in writing early, and assume goodwill until proven otherwise.
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