063: Co-Parenting Over the Holidays, with Dr. Marlene Bizub

The holidays can bring joy, excitement, and meaningful traditions, but for separated and divorced families, they can also amplify stress, conflict, and emotional overload.

In this episode of the Children First Family Law®️ podcast, Krista explores how parents can navigate holiday schedules, shifting expectations, new traditions, and blended-family dynamics in a way that truly protects children’s emotional well-being. Dr. Marlene Bizub draws on nearly three decades of working with court-involved families to unpack why the season feels so intense and what parents can do differently to create calmer, healthier holidays.

Dr. Bizub and Krista talk through the issues that emerge every December, from split-day disasters to extended-family tensions, gift-giving challenges, travel disruptions, and the grief children often feel beneath the surface. Dr. Bizub offers practical strategies parents can act on right now, along with long-term guidance on flexibility, communication, and taking the high road. Whether you’re newly separated or years into co-parenting, this episode provides grounded, child-centered guidance for navigating the holidays more peacefully.

Dr. Marlene Bizub, a longtime psychologist working with court-involved families, shares her expertise on creating healthy traditions, supporting children through grief, and setting realistic expectations during the holidays. She highlights what children genuinely need, how parents can avoid emotional pitfalls, and why kindness creates lasting goodwill.

This episode reminds parents that even small changes in approach can transform the holidays for their children and for themselves.

In this episode, you will hear:

  • Emotional pressures that intensify holidays for co-parents
  • The shift from rigid expectations to child-centered planning
  • Why avoiding split-day celebrations smooths the season for kids
  • Fresh ideas for building new, meaningful traditions
  • Approaches that help blended families adjust at their own pace
  • Thoughts on birthdays, gift-giving, and extended-family involvement
  • Flexibility strategies for travel delays, illness, and disrupted plans
  • How generosity and cooperation create long-term goodwill
  • Nonverbal communication patterns that shape a child’s experience
  • Ways parents can find support and care for themselves during the holidays

Resources from this Episode

www.amazon.com/Contentious-Custody-Really-Interest-Children/dp/1941870724

open.spotify.com/show/4LJ9Ey2LemBeXfkh4wNauv

www.childrenfirstfamilylaw.com

All states have different laws; be sure you are checking out your state laws specifically surrounding divorce. Krista is a licensed attorney in Colorado and Wyoming but is not providing through this podcast legal advice. Please be sure to seek independent legal counsel in your area for your specific situation. 

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