How to deal with your children’s anxieties over celebrating Christmas with separated parents.

By Karen Grais Meyer, MSW, LCSW
Holidays can be a time to anticipate with excitement and happiness, or with anxiety and sadness, depending on what is happening in your life and family. For children of separated and divorced parents, the holidays are often a time of mixed emotions. The following are some common feelings children have:

Uncertainty about where they will be spending the holidays.
For children whose parents have separated since the previous holiday season, they may not know where they will be spending Thanksgiving, …

Modern times have delivered to us the alternative family, including but not limited to ex-spouses, step-parents, and step siblings. During the holiday season, children and families may experience confusion, distress, or tension.For many, the picturesque holiday of families celebrating with food and gifts, with mom, dad, son, and daughter joined under one roof has been displaced. Today, over one-third of all marriages end in divorce as reported by the National Center for Health Statistics. Many children now celebrate their holidays under several different roofs and possibly with more than one mom or dad, creating the …