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A newly divorced parent's guide to dealing with the holidays

Practical advice on how to develop new traditions in a two-home family, support your kids, and yourself from Collaborative Divorce Coach, Karen Bonnell.

SEATTLE — If you are a newly divorced parent, you might be experiencing new parenting challenges.  Holiday traditions are special to your family and emotionally charged, and when the family structure changes - so do they.  You may be negotiating how to share time with the kids for Christmas and navigating newly separated finances.  What should parents consider when comes to continuing traditions or starting new ones?

Kirkland-based Collaborative Divorce Coach Karen Bonnell has been working with couples and families for over 30 years and is the author of The Co-Parenting Handbook. She shares with us: 

  • How to support your children and what to look for in behaviors and emotions. 
  • Long and short-term adjustments when forming a two-home family 
  • How to prepare the kids for a holiday season that's going to be different 
  • How to take care of yourself if you are having a hard time envisioning the holidays without your kids 
  • Experiencing grief.  What's normal?
  • For allies, friends and family - what can you look for, do, and NOT say? 

RELATED: A newly divorced parent's guide to dealing with the holidays

Segment Producer Suzie Wiley. Watch New Day Northwest 11 AM weekdays on KING 5 and streaming live on KING5.comContact New Day

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