Episode
175. Divorce During the Holidays: How to Protect Your Peace, Your Wallet, and Your Future
- Podcast
- We Chat Divorce Podcast
- Published
- Dec 24, 2025
- Duration seconds
- 1449
- Processing state
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Summary
The holidays are supposed to be joyful — but when you’re navigating divorce, they can feel emotionally overwhelming, financially stressful, and deeply isolating. In this episode of Divorce Explored on the We Chat Divorce Podcast, Karen Chellew and Catherine Shanahan have an honest, grounding conversation about how to survive the holiday season without falling apart — emotionally or financially. This is not a parenting episode. This is a human episode. Karen and Catherine normalize the reality that joy and grief often coexist during divorce — and explain why boundaries around money, time, energy, and expectations are essential right now. You’ll hear practical guidance, real personal stories, and clear permission to do the holidays differently this year. Why it’s normal to feel grateful and gutted at the same time How holiday expectations quietly increase financial stress during divorce The most important money boundaries to set before you say yes to anything Why “keeping up appearances” can cost you far more than you realize How to avoid holiday debt that follows you into January Thoughtful gift strategies that don’t require overspending Why co-parenting during the holidays is not a competition Time and energy boundaries that protect your nervous system How to say no — without guilt — to events that drain you Navigating the holidays with: Younger children, Adult children, or No children How forgiveness can be a gift to yourself, not a pass for others Why different holidays don’t mean bad holidays — just new ones How the financial and emotional choices you make in December show up in January You are not failing because the holidays feel heavy. Boundaries are not selfish — they protect your future and your stability. You don’t need to explain or defend your divorce to any…