The Best Gift This Mother’s and Father’s Day: Let Kids Be Kids

In an op-ed published on May 8 in the Orlando Sentinel, Family Law Attorney Rebecca L. Palmer provides practical guidance on how divorced and separated parents can keep Mother’s Day and Father’s Day child-centered and conflict-free, protecting kids from lingering adult tension. Palmer’s guidance emphasizes early preparation, healthy co-parenting communication, and legal preparedness to support long-term stability.

“Children should not have to carry the pressure of making Mother’s Day or Father’s Day perfect. They need emotional safety when celebrating a parent.” Palmer emphasizes.

The American Academy of Pediatrics notes that more than 1 million American children experience parental divorce or separation each year, and that reducing conflict strengthens resilience and overall adjustment. Parents should not use their children as middlemen to report on the other parent, potentially exposing their children to disparaging comments.

In the planning stages, be sure to “confirm details in writing early, keep communication brief and businesslike, and build in flexibility where possible,” Palmer advises. “If your current plan creates conflict every year, that is not a personal failure. It is a signal that the plan may need to be clarified or modified.”

Read the story in full; click here (subscriber-based).