Co-parenting is an entirely different ballpark than parenting as a married couple, especially regarding holidays. This is because many things are involved, such as multiple holiday parties and even multiple people giving gifts. To keep gift-giving from getting messy, follow these tips:

Coordinate Gifts

Nobody wants to gift a duplicate present during the holiday season. To avoid this, you and your co-parent could have each child create a gift list and decide which parent will buy which item.

Do not compete with your co-parent.

Every parent wants their child to love the gifts they give them. Although, you do not want to “compete” with your co-parent when it comes to this. Do not get caught up in the game of “my gift is better than yours.” Your child will likely catch on and feel you are trying to buy their love.

Give gifts with “no strings attached.”

Imagine this: your boss gives you a fancy new company car and says, “enjoy driving this around the parking lot because you are not allowed to take it anywhere else.” That would not be any fun, would it? Therefore, do not give your children any gifts that must stay at your house, or you may have issues later on.

Do not give a gift that you know your co-parent will not approve of

The beauty of gift-giving is finding unique things someone will love, right? Yes, this is true, but it can become tricky when divorce parents are involved. For example, it is common for parents to have different views on what a child can watch and play with. Therefore, to avoid hostility or an argument, avoid giving a gift you know your co-parent would disapprove of.