While it is usually both rewarding and fulfilling, parenting can also be unbelievably challenging. This is particularly true in non-conventional families, such as those with post-divorce co-parents. Regardless of how your marriage came to an end, your ex-spouse should not sabotage your relationship with your kids.

Parental alienation occurs when one parent disparages, discredits or fosters hostility toward the other parent. Typically, these actions involve mental and emotional manipulation. Unfortunately, the effect is usually the same. That is, children prefer the alienating parent while rejecting the alienated one. Because parental alienation can cause life-long consequences, you must watch for its warning signs. Here are some of them:

Spying

All parents need to make adjustments the first year after finalizing a divorce. One of the hardest aspects to go through involves determining how to handle family holidays. There are few holidays as stressful as Thanksgiving.

If you thought things were stressful before, now you have to go through the Thanksgiving celebration with your family divided. This is an important moment in life after the divorce because you and your ex really get to show your kids your co-parenting skills. Here are some tips to make sure your first Thanksgiving in the wake of the separation lets everyone know things will be all right.

Acknowledge your children's emotions

Divorce is a tricky, complicated legal proceeding. You want to avoid mistakes, which one Texas man learned after he forged his wife's name on the divorce papers. However, something else you do not want to mess up is how you present the separation to any children you and your spouse share.

Talking to your kids about your intended divorce is one of the most difficult conversations a person can have. It is critical to do it the right way so your kids can work through their emotions while still respecting both parents.

Present the divorce together

Marriage means something different to every couple. While you may have chosen to marry your spouse for love or security, your marriage certificate is a legal contract between you, your spouse and the state. As such, to dissolve your union, you must divide marital property and obtain a court order.

Gone are the days when couples had little choice but to engage in a protracted legal battle. Nowadays, a growing number of divorcing spouses choose alternate dispute resolution, such as mediation, to wrap up their marriages. While there are many advantages to mediating a divorce, sometimes, it simply does not work. Here are three signs it may be time to walk away from your divorce mediation:

1. Your partner is trying to devastate you

Divorce mediation is gaining popularity for a few important reasons. While you may appreciate that mediation is often less expensive than a protracted court battle, you are also likely to enjoy the reduced stress that tends to accompany alternate dispute resolution.

As you may suspect, though, some divorce mediations are more successful than others. While working with counsel who understands how to mediate a high-asset divorce is critical, you also need to prepare yourself for the mediation process. Here are four tips for making your divorce mediation a success:

1. Decide what really matters

Let us say that you and your spouse have amassed significant assets during the years of your marriage. Now your marriage is coming to an end and you face a high-net-worth divorce.

You dread the idea of an expensive, lengthy and possibly acrimonious court process. Consider mediation, an alternative to litigation that comes with benefits and puts you in control of your divorce.

A popular option

If you are the soon-to-be-ex-spouse of a military member, you may wonder how property division will affect you.

Although property division in a divorce must follow Texas law, the Uniformed Services Former Spouse Protection Act also comes into play on your behalf.

The USFSPA explained

Divorce is not an easy process. However, there are certain divorce tools that can help the process, such as mediation.

Before determining if divorce mediation is right in a situation, it is important to understand what the process entails. There are a few key facts to know.

What it is

A divorce is going to take a financial toll on you, but you have some level of control over that toll. Not all divorces have to be long, contentious courtroom affairs. While where you live, geographically, will help determine just how much you spend on your divorce, so, too, will certain decisions you make about how to navigate the process.

While your divorce, itself, can cost a substantial amount of money, so, too, can rebuilding your life in the absence of your spouse. Finding and financing a new home, for example, is one such cost, and you will also no longer be able to split the cost of groceries and related expenses once you and your one-time partner split. So, what are some things you can do to cut costs and save yourself money amid divorce?

Consider mediation

Perhaps you have heard a lot about the benefits of mediation and want to give it a try, but certain myths are holding you back.

These are just three you may believe that are not true. The bottom line is mediation is usually the best choice.

1. You have less protection

Children look forward to summer - and for good reason. They get to have later bedtimes, pool parties and do not need to go to school. But if you are recently divorced, your kids face unique complications during this season. If you and the other parent are not in a healthy co-parenting relationship, it may expose your kids to conflict when they should be relaxing and enjoying themselves.

The first summer after your divorce is complex, but if you approach it with the mindset of putting your kids first, you can make it through with happy memories. Here is how to prioritize the interests of your kids during summer.

1. Avoid power struggles

When you know that your marriage is coming to an end, you have a lot of worries. You may be concerned about potential conflicts and arguments. A contentious split can wreak havoc on your emotions and finances-not to mention how it may impact your children.

However, contrary to popular belief, divorce does not need to be a nasty process. Believe it or not, you can divorce your spouse amicably and peacefully. There is no guaranteed, step-by-step process for a respectful divorce, but here are some guidelines to stop your breakup from getting unnecessarily ugly.

Understand why your divorce is happening without placing blame

Finalizing a divorce is typically a joyous occasion. One Texas woman celebrated her divorce by tying a bunch of explosives to her wedding dress and setting it off.

The end brings a sense of elation. However, you still need to get through the divorce itself, which can be particularly toxic. You may have ended the marriage on bad terms, but you still need to work together with your spouse for the time being. Here are some of the ways to make divorce far more manageable.

Take care of yourself

There are several different factors to consider during a divorce. The division of assets is a strong consideration for both parties.

Thankfully, certain regulations help determine how parties will fare from the division process of the divorce. Regarding pension, there are a few important facts to know.

Handling of property

Let us say you have been offered a promotion at work. It is a wonderful opportunity, but it involves moving to a new office out of state.

As the custodial parent, you want to take your 12-year-old son with you. How does the other parent view the proposed move? Will the court give its consent to modifying your child custody agreement?

Making a change

When divorce is inevitable, most couples dread contentious litigation and the possibility of a bitter outcome.

Mediation is another, quite different option that focuses on effective communication between the parties resulting in a satisfactory agreement and no need to go to court.

How divorce mediation works

It is no secret that divorce comes with a high price tag. From court and legal fees to support payments, costs show up in all parts of the process.

Fortunately, you can mitigate some of these bills. All it takes is awareness, preparation and smart choices.

Common unexpected costs of divorce

If you are going through or finished a divorce, Christmas can be a difficult time. The first holiday season as a single parent can be a struggle for you and your kids. With the other parent absent, your children may be more emotional and need extra comfort.

Navigating the holidays after divorcing your spouse is never easy, but there are some actions you can take to ease the pain. Here are some guidelines for handling your first Christmas after a divorce.

1. Normalize expressing emotions

Many teachers talk to divorced parents during routine conferences. With the new school year now in full swing, many parents have to deal with this, but it does not have to be a contentious issue.

The first conference after a divorce can be awkward. However, by keeping a few simple tips in mind, both spouses can get through it maturely.

Manage emotions

Divorcing your spouse is inevitably complicated, and so, too, is learning to adjust to a joint-custody or similar arrangement that means you will only have your children in your home part of the time. Chances are, you are divorcing your one-time partner because you no longer agree on certain areas or aspects of life, and this can lead to complications when the two of you continue to share parenting time after you split up.

Increasingly, parents who split up but plan to continue to share custody are creating parenting plans to help prevent unnecessary discord and hardship down the line. Essentially, a parenting plan is a written document that sets guidelines you and your former partner agree to follow when it comes to co-parenting after divorce. While you can address an exceedingly broad range of areas in your parenting plan, many divorced couples use them to set guidelines with regard to the following.

Parenting time