Parents and experts weigh in on how to navigate blended family dynamics over the festive season
The festive season can be a stressful time for anyone, especially so for those managing co-parenting and blended families.
Here, parents with lived experience; psychologist Dr Ahona Guha; and a spokesperson for the Council of Single Mothers and their Children (CSMC) offer their best tips for co-parenting at this time of year, from navigating tricky family dynamics to managing the season’s expectations and pace.
As a general note, these tips are for people with functional co-parenting relationships, not in cases where access to children is used as a weapon or where there is a history of family violence.
It is important to set expectations around time, gifts and extended family early. Depending on your circumstances, there are different approaches to take. Parent of two Lenine Bourke has a “set and forget” arrangement. “I share my eldest on Christmas Day and we do the same thing every year, meaning that it isn’t a point of contention or something we need to constantly negotiate.”
