Your child looks forward to their birthday all year long. Don’t let the fact that you recently divorced your spouse spoil their fun. Instead, talk to your ex about how to make your child’s birthday extra special this year.
Joint parties are great if the two of you generally get along. However, if there is animosity between you, hosting individual parties might be the best choice.
Deciding how to celebrate
There are several ways to celebrate your child’s birthday. These include:
- Holding a joint party on neutral grounds. This might be the year to hold your child’s birthday celebration at the local recreation center, skating rink or party place. A neutral location can make it easier for you to be in the same place as your ex and their family members. Your child will appreciate having everyone together and you’ll be happy that there’s no cleaning up to do at your house after the party.
- Holding separate celebrations. In other words, you host a party and invite your family and friends, then your ex does the same on a different day.
- Splitting the day. One of you can make plans to have breakfast with the birthday child. The other parent can have dinner with them.
If you are not sure how to best celebrate your child’s birthday after your divorce, ask them. Your son or daughter may have their own ideas about how they would like to celebrate their special day. Try not to feel left out if they choose to celebrate with the other parent first. This is just as confusing for them as it is for you.
Should you find that you and your ex cannot agree on what to do even after your child has expressed their wishes, seek assistance with making this decision, as well as any others that you may face with co-parenting after your divorce.
