5 New Year’s Resolutions for Divorced Dads
At the beginning of every year, many people make resolutions related to parts of their lives that they hope to change in the coming months. While many resolutions fall by the wayside after a few weeks, the new year can be a great opportunity for dads who recently went through a divorce to work on the healing process and continue to adjust to the ways their lives have changed. Single dads may want to consider making some or all of the following resolutions as they continue to build a new life for themselves:
-
Work on being a good co-parent - Even if the wounds of your divorce are still fresh, you’ll most likely need to maintain contact with your ex-spouse and work together to make sure you are both meeting your children’s needs. While you may not exactly be friendly with your ex, you can still work on communicating with each other and ensuring that you are both informed about what’s going on in your kids’ lives. You can also find ways to be flexible when necessary and adjust to changing schedules that affect when and where you pick up or drop off your kids or participate in their activities.
-
Focus on putting your children first - It’s understandable to be stressed out as you adjust to being a single parent, but one of the most important things you can do is be present in your kids’ lives as much as possible. While you can’t control what happens when they aren’t with you, you can make a commitment to focus on them during your parenting time. By talking to your kids, playing with them, enjoying activities together, helping with their homework, and giving them your full attention, you can continue to build a positive relationship that will last a lifetime.
-
Live a healthy lifestyle - In addition to taking care of your family, you’ll need to take care of yourself. By resolving to get exercise, eat a healthy diet, and attend to your mental health needs, you can be sure that you will have the energy to provide for your family throughout the coming year and beyond.
-
Manage your finances - You’ve probably had to rework your budget because of your divorce, and you may have had to make changes to your lifestyle to make sure you can cover your ongoing expenses while meeting financial obligations such as child support. During the new year, you can work on building financial security by paying off debts, saving money where possible, and setting goals for what you want to accomplish, such as going back to school to advance your career.
-
Start dating when you’re ready - After the end of your relationship, you may want to begin looking for a new partner, and you may want to resolve to create profiles on dating sites or start talking to people you are interested in spending more time with. On the other hand, if you’re not yet ready to start a new relationship, you might want to give yourself some time before you re-enter the dating scene, and you can resolve to take a few months to work on other areas of your life, or you can set a goal for when you would like to begin looking into possible new partners.
In addition to making resolutions about your personal life, you might also need to address legal issues related to your divorce or your children throughout the coming year. Whether you’re still working to complete your divorce or need to address issues such as child custody modifications or parental relocation, you’ll want to work with a skilled family law attorney. Your lawyer can make sure your parental rights are protected, and with a legal advocate on your side, you can achieve a positive outcome in legal proceedings.
Sources:
https://www.fatherly.com/love-money/good-new-years-resolutions-for-dads/
https://www.ourfamilywizard.com/blog/new-years-resolutions-co-parents
