The prospect of gathering our extended family, and all of its drama, together in one place for the holidays fills many of us with anxiety. If that sounds familiar to you, you might think that the only thing that could be worse would be having Thanksgiving dinner at your former in-laws’ house after a divorce.
But that’s not a situation that intimidates parenting vlogger Kristina Kuzmic, who says that she and her husband and children are welcome in her ex-husband’s family: she first posted about the unusual arrangement on Facebook last year and this year, she shared that they’re spending Thanksgiving together again.
While she acknowledges that not everybody can reach this level of understanding after a divorce, she is thankful for the loving relationship with her ex-husband’s family and says that the bond it created, and positive example it sets for her kids, are worth the forgiveness and humility it took to get there.
A chapter of her upcoming book, Hold On, But Don't Hold Still, goes into more detail about this part of her life.
Kuzmic shared the story with her followers for the second year in a row
Image credits: Kristina Kuzmic
Image credits: Kristina Kuzmic
Image credits: Kristina Kuzmic
The real stars in this situation are her former in-laws, who she says accepted her as one of their own. Perhaps it’s this acceptance that motivated her, her ex-husband, and her current husband to take a practical approach, put aside the awkwardness of divorce and the past, and focus on providing loving family relationships for their kids.
Image credits: Kristina Kuzmic
One divorce attorney who has seen the good, the bad, and ugly side of exes trying to get along says that the key to successful co-parenting after a divorce—which shouldn’t surprise you as it’s the key to most relationships—is communication.
Speaking directly to your ex-partner whenever you have a concern, a change in schedule, or a question will get you so much further, without leading to resentment, than using the kids as messengers or trying to let something like a pre-planned schedule, which could change, speak for itself.
Image credits: Kristina Kuzmic
Kristina Kuzmic, who was born in Croatia but has made her career and is raising her children in California, rose to fame as a parenting vlogger. Her videos range from silly “relatable” mom humor to serious topics like grief and depression, her creativity and bluntness have earned her billions of views, and her first book will be released early next year.
