As a divorcing parent, the weekends can be difficult. This is particularly the case if it's your weekend away from the children. After a particularly bad week, I'm sure that many parents will dream of a weekend off. However, the reality is that most of us love spending quality time with our children at the weekends. When they are not there, suddenly the house feels very big and very very quiet.
I'm sure there are a million things you could be doing. In my house, they tend to involve cleaning, gardening or decorating. It's really difficult to get motivated when you are feeling low but you will feel so much better completing some long awaited tasks. I read a while ago that rather than plan to clear out all the cupboards, for example, plan to tackle 2 or 3. Just keeping busy will help the time go faster and stop you sitting watching the clock wondering what the children are up to.
You'll notice I suggest something fun, not just something for you. When you have a weekend away from the children, if you have the motivation, it is tempting to get all the boring jobs and housework done. However, you are entitled to have a life yourself. You should think about doing things you love or socialising. If you haven't done this for a while, Susan's tips should help. It's really important not to neglect yourself. You could go out for dinner, host a cheese and wine evening or just have a brew with your best mate. Whatever it is, make it something that you love doing.
One of the hardest things to do when you're a parent, especially one who is going through separation or divorce, is relax. Everyone has their own way of doing this. For me, it's being in the hills of the Peak District. For others, it is having a massage, a long bath with candles, others it's dancing to their favourite band. Again, use this time to relax as well. It is much easier to deal with all the ups and downs of divorce when you have given yourself some care and attention. Your weekends off give you time to do that.
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Tamsin Caine is a Chartered Financial Planner at Smart Divorce. She specialises in working with separating or divorcing clients to help them to understand how to divide their finances to move forward with their lives. If you would like to speak to Tamsin or find out more about how she can help, email her at Tamsin@smartdivorce.co.uk or call her on 07975 922766.