Father’s Day celebrates the relationship between dads and their kids and honors the things that fathers do for their families. While divorce doesn’t change why we celebrate Father’s Day, it may change how you celebrate it. Here are some Father’s Day tips for divorced dads that can help create an enjoyable experience for everyone.
3 Father’s Day Tips for Divorced Dads
1. Create a Plan for Father’s Day Now
Don’t wait until the morning of Father’s Day to come up with a plan. In many families, the mom creates the plans for Father’s Day. If that was the case in your family, you need to take over this task. Think about what you and your kids like to do and make a plan around that. Find an activity that will engage your kids. It doesn’t have to be expensive; it just needs to be something you enjoy together. The list is endless: making a craft, seeing a movie, going on a bike ride, playing a board game, going on a hike, or making a meal together are all solid options.
2. Create New Traditions for Father’s Day
Coming out of a divorce, you have the opportunity to evaluate family traditions. If there are traditions you and your kids enjoy, keep them going. If you want to start a new tradition that creates a deeper connection, this is the time to do it. What would be meaningful to your relationship with your kids? Do you bond best when you are doing an activity? Out in nature? With extended family? Build the kind of day that reflects who you are as a father and what matters most to your kids.
3. What to Do When It’s Complicated
Conflict with a co-parent is always difficult, and holidays can highlight those problems in a painful way. The important thing is to keep your kids from feeling like they are in the middle of the conflict. Yelling at your co-parent about being late at drop-off will create tension and undermine your goal of an enjoyable weekend with your kids.
As your kids grow, their interests will change. Maybe you and your kids have gone to the park every year, but this year they don’t seem to be having fun. Try to look at it from their perspective and take it as an opportunity to explore new options. Most parenting plans create a structure for Father’s Day that overrides the regular parenting schedule, so you will likely have the day with your children.
For divorced dads, Father’s Day is still a celebration of the bond you have with your kids. That bond is built over a lifetime, not just one Sunday in June. So whatever happens on the day itself, remember: you are their father every day of the year.
Questions about your parenting plan or custody schedule? Contact Fitzgerald Family Law to speak with Attorney Stephanie Fitzgerald.