For Immediate Release
Toronto, Ontario (PRWEB) December 14, 2012
“This holiday, thousands of divorced or separated parents will not be able to be with their children in person, whether that’s because they live in different cities, or their ex has the kids on certain days,” commented Martha Chan, Editorial Director of Divorce Magazine. “However, they still can spend quality time with their children — with a little help from technology.”
Divorce Magazine offers divorced parents tips and suggests that ex-spouses consider the following to help make this holiday brighter and merrier for themselves, and most especially, their children:
1. Use Skype and place a video call instead of a traditional phone call. Skype-to-Skype calls are free, and most laptops come with built-in web cams. If not, a basic web cam that does the job costs about $20 – and it also makes a great gift, too!
2. Make a special holiday video greeting and send it to your kids, so they can watch it on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, or any other time during the holidays when they want to “be with you.” You can also take a short video with an iPhone or many smart phones. Creating a fun and memorable video is easier than you imagine.
3. Email, text, Tweet and “Facebook” your kids to let them know that you’re thinking of them, and that you hope they’re having a great time. There are plenty of free, easy-to-follow tutorials online, or you can pick up a “for Dummies” book at your library or bookstore – or better yet, try asking your kids!
However, using technology to send a heartfelt message this holiday season isn’t something that should only exist between non-custodial parents and their kids. Ex-spouses can get in on the hi-tech action – and reap the rewards – as well.
“Ex-spouses can find that one-on-one communication during the holidays to be quite difficult, especially if their divorce is relatively recent,” commented Chan. “All kinds of emotions and pressures can emerge, and it can be very easy to slip into old patterns. Technology can make it simpler to say `thanks for making it through this past year with me,’ or `next year, let’s both work on making things better for our kids,’ or any other kind-hearted message – even if it’s just acknowledging something that their ex-spouse did that made a positive difference. Truly, a message like that could be the most meaningful gift that an ex-spouse sends – or receives – all holiday.”
However, Chan cautioned against using technology to communicate, without first thinking things through.
“It’s worth taking the time to draft what you want to say, before making a video or sending an email, just to ensure that the message is clear and appropriate. Emotions can be harder to convey, and easier to misinterpret, when people aren’t face-to-face. And of course, people should never forget that their communication may not be confidential, especially if it’s a Tweet or a Facebook post – even if the profile is set to private. So anything confidential or sensitive should be saved for a phone call or an in-person meeting.”
More divorced parents tips on how they can not just survive the holidays, but thrive and find unexpected joy and peace, is available at http://www.divorcemag.com/articles/Divorce_Recovery.
About Divorce Magazine
Launched in 1995, Divorce Magazine is North America’s only magazine devoted entirely to divorce. The website http://www.DivorceMagazine.com, has been a leading divorce-related resource since 1995. The company also operates http://www.BlogsOnDivorce.com, which features expert opinions and insight from leading divorce professionals, and http://www.FamilyLawyerMagazine.com, which is dedicated to helping family lawyers manage their practice and live a balanced life. For more information, contact publisher and CEO Dan Couvrette at (866) 803-6667 ext. 124 or email DanC@divorcemag.com.