Vacationing as a Family After Divorce || Mayim Bialik 

Hey Mayim, my parents are divorced, too. They're splitted since I was 8 years old (now I'm 24) and both married again. We celebrate everything together, go on vacation together, eat together and live in the same street. Now they started to go on vacation without me, just the four of them because they're friends. On my perspective this is the biggest gift my parents could get me and I'm unbelievable thankful to have all of them equally in my life. You and your Ex are doing a good thing and your sons must be happy for this decision. Greetings from Germany (please excuse my english "skills" 🙈) Anna

It's a common misconception that ending a _romantic_ relationship necessarily means ending a _relationship._ It's especially important for a couple of _parents_ to continue dealing with each other on at least _civil_ terms for the benefit of the _children._ No, Mayim, I was not annoyed at you for manifesting this philosophy. This is a very _enlightened_ philosophy.

The most difficult part is to make your new partner understand that you do all these things for your kids and their well-being, not because you secretly wish to reunite with your ex husband... 😩

I know that commenting on old videos isn’t hip, but I just found this video so healing I wanted to write something publicly. My parents divorced when I was 8 and the tension only escalated. Being forced to choose sides was hell. Even now I can only stand being around one side of my family for a short period of time. I’ve missed out on culture, on togetherness, and have always been scared to have romantic relationships of my own because I’m scared they won’t work out. This video and the comments below gave me the “Aha” that I don’t have to act like my parents. I choose different.

This is how my mom and dad worked things after they divorced. At one point my father got cancer and he came and lived with us while in treatment... he is fine by the way.... my mom genuinely liked my dad. They just couldn’t live together. I feel like it was a good deal for me. They both did their best for me... they put me first... thanks for this video!!!

As a family lawyer, who also comes from a separated but amicable family, I’ll say that more divorced people should follow your example Dr B.

You are so articulate, intelligent, talented, full of life and just darn right fun! You are the type of woman I envy & would keep around me as a best friend.

I'm a long divorced mom with 3 grown sons. Our boys were very young when we divorced but we ALWAYS celebrated their birthdays together. We ALWAYS sat next to each other at school events so our boys would have just one place to look. We tried hard to raise them together. I am happy that we were able to do so.

I grew up in a household like that. My parents got divorced when I was 7. But they remained close friends. I lived at my mom's but I got to see my dad twice a week. They also don't live far apart so I could just walk over when I wanted to see him. We would still do lots of things as a family, not only christmas and stuff like that. I feel like they made it work pretty well.

I don't often see a friendship after a divorce, but i love how the two of you somehow built one.

I took my ex to Disney World with my kids. I don’t think I would do every vacation together but some moments are just too good not to share. A child should never have to feel guilty for enjoying time with one parent or the other. I totally agree with all your points. Also, the one thing that allows me to be around my ex is that I can let go of the anger because at the end of the day all the things that she does that drive me nuts don’t matter. I get to go home without her. Lol.

My wife and I are currently on the edge of a mutual divorce and this is one of the many things we are currently discussing. I will probably show this video to her as from my side it's not driven by some big even or any kind of hate, simply two people who want very different things for their lives but whom both love their children and oddly each other still. I love this! thank you so much for sharing it.

Does anyone else Watch Mayim, and think about the subject she is talking about for hours, if not days afterward? I love how she explains things, and I actually love her hand moments, when she talks. I would love to have a conversation with her in real life!!!

My parents were divorced and they did things together like birthday parties, school concerts, etc. To create a sense of "normalcy" for me and my siblings. I think it was more my mom forcing my dad to do it, but from a kids perspective It was nice. I dont know if they'd do an international vacation lol - but good for you for trying to create a good relationship for your sons.

I have no intelligible words to describe how blown away I am after watching this. The idea of what you"re talking about here is so alien to me. As someone who grew up with their parents divorced at an early age, all I've known between them is conflict and animosity. What you described in this video was so enlightening, so full of positivity , that I have to admit that I never thought something like this could be possible. So thank you for sharing this. I truly feel a little lighter after hearing this.

I went on my honeymoon alone 5 years ago. Best vacation ever.

So you guys are mature, logical, co-parenting friends. Got it😊

I think it is lovely how complimentary you are of your ex-husband and how the two of you are mature enough to put your differences aside for the well-being of your boys. That is very rare. Great job! I hope many people who are divorced or getting divorced with children watch this.

I was told a lot in my childhood that I looked related to you. I've watched and fallowed your life and have loved seeing you stand up to the world for your choices. You took a healthy life choice and stopped acting to learn and raise up in your life then came back when it was safe to do so. I love you for that.

I absolutely love that you didn’t try to force your divorce on your children. As adults who once loved each other enough to create life together you don’t discount that, and you know and believe the fact that your children deserve both of you in their lives, in their memories and in their hearts. I could only wish that all families who divorced could grow the heck up and do the right things.

i think this is awesome. I have friends with divorced parents that still go on family vacations together and i thought it was weird but it's actually really cool.

This is excellent! This is also mature and healthy and it sounds like you really have the situation in a good perspective! My first wife and I divorced when our daughter was two. She's now 30. Although we didn't do vacations there were many things we did together. Sometimes it was just the three of us going to dinner and movies with our daughter. My ex-wife has been a dear friend and although we've both remarried we're still good friends. Our daughter is 30 and has many fond memories of her Mom and Dad. I think the loving and stable environment we gave her, despite our divorce, has left a positive impact on her life. I'm sure your boys will equally benefit from your shared raising of your children with your ex.

I just love the way this woman handles herself. Her self-awareness and exuberance are inspiring.

Equally mature as she is intelligent. How refreshing.

You & your ex-husband putting your children first & being conscious of how your new relationship affects everyone, is an example that more parents need to follow. Whether married or not. Being honest about what needs to happen & having the strength to follow through on that, will benefit everyone in any kind of major life transition.

This made me tear. We have been married 41 years and you said some of the most important things everyone should hear. Married or divorce. Thank you. You are amazing.

I really admire your words...I'm 54 and never married, and no kids. There was hardly a divorce in my family, including aunts, uncles, and cousins ( no drug or alcohol abuse either ). I came from a very very stable and consistent background... I was lucky and I appreciate that baseline I was given. I have no one to blame for any fails in my life but myself, and most of my success to two parents.

My ex-husband and I have a similar friendship. For our daughter we have worked together to co-parent her. Our daughter is now 31 years old, is married and has 3 children of her own. My current husband has the same type of friendship with his ex-wife. I am friends with his ex-wife and he is friends with my ex-husband. It isn't always easy but speaking from 29 years of divorce and friendship I encourage you with the success we have experienced. It is worth everything to know that our daughter and grandchildren have us both for every occasion and there is nothing but love and peace. My step daughters feel the same about my husband and their Mother. We are one LARGE extended family. I am proud of you and your children's Father for being able to be friends, your children will always be grateful for your friendship.

My ex-husband and I had such a loving divorce, that people wonder why we divorced in the first place. He and I had different ideas about faithfulness. I believed in it and he didn't understand the concept. We decided to put all the love we had for each other into our son. It wasn't always smooth sailing, but our 32 year old son is grounded, happy and getting married in October. We continue to chat often and have family dinners with our current spouses all together. Shabbat shalom!

I'm from a second marriage. My mom had 4 sons with her first husband, she always invited him over for the bigger things here in the Netherlands. In the beginning he used to come. Sadly that stopped. I have pictures from my youth with my own dad in it. But also my big brothers dad. I loved my mom for always leaving the door open regardless.

I truly enjoy listening to Mayim's videos. This one touched me personally. As a divorced parent I feel like someone actually get's what I've been living, feeling AND why. Our family traditions may be different than Mayim's but we still have them. Our family has done many vacations, holidays and special moments together after the divorce. Is it always easy?....no. Is it always enjoyable?....no. Do I have feelings I don't share with others?.....of course......just as I'm sure he does. Is it worth it?......YES. I have no doubt that we did it the way we did it for all the right reasons........two beautiful reasons. Everything Mayim shared was spot on as to how I feel and why I do what I do. Thank you Mayim. It's so refreshing to know that I'm not alone.

Mayim, may we just state the obvious by saying that you're amazing? Not only are you a talented actress, you're also great at giving these precious tips and sharing your own experience with such courage and self-acceptance. You're a lesson to learn and we're thankful!😊🙏🏽

Indeed! Why should you lose a good friend just because you weren't able to stay married? A good divorce is better than a dysfunctional marriage. As long as your current partners are okay with it, it's so much better for your sons. Good for you guys, I love it. BTW, your comments about things you don't like about your ex, at times, are no different from how it feels to be married to someone. Every couple has moments like this, whether partnered, or good friends, or exes. Good on you guys for working on this together. PS -- I love special guest onlooker, Addie!

I could listen to you all day....you are a very insightful human being!

Jesus I thought the cat at 0:45 was a stuffed animal and then it MOVED

My daughter's father and I broke up about a year and a half ago and we've kept a friendship, for the most part. I think I put more effort into as I always have but I do it for our daughter. We have meals together and go out on day trips. And he sees her just as much as he would if we were still together. She's a very happy girl and you can see she is happiest when we are all together. Even though we will never be in a relationship again because it was awful, it's important that she still has that family unit and I'm proud of myself for being strong enough to do that for her. ♥

I think that many People In my contry(Russia) simple dont know that it is possoble to live after divorce in happy way. Many of my friends-girls try to monopolize their children, and In some years-now They are suprised that fathers dont want to deal with children. You said very important logical adult things- to find solution For everyone, For children and parents. I Will try to tell them your vision and help to safe family even with divorce. Thak you! Good luck

You are a very kind and respectful woman. You have integrity. Thanks for sharing Mayim.

Divorced 30+ years ago. Never saw him again. He never had the kids or saw them save 3 times the first 4 months after. He paid child support one time. The check bounced. I saw him at my eldest child’s graduation. He wanted to get back together. I walked away. I wish him no ill will, but I am happy I will never have to deal with him again.

I was always looked at weirdly, too. I am friends with my ex and love his girlfriend. We did lots of things together when our son was young. He’s 30 now and he never, ever had to chose who to love. He’s a well rounded man. He’s a special ed teacher and he is stellar. I think it’s because we worked together to raise him

This is so my life as a divorced parent. WE do the same thing with out kids, the vacations, parent - teacher meetings everything for our kids. You spoke and I felt like you were talking about my life. The only difference is we have 3 sets of parents when we do all this, my second hubby is divorced from his first wife as well. A lot of people look at us weird. But if at the end of the day you have happy well rounded children that know we are all there for them, it is all worth the small amounts of frustration we endure. Thank you for sharing.

As someone with divorced parents I can tell you this is the best way to handle a divorce. I love this

This is awesome! I just did this with my ex and his fiancé along with my husband. We all get along. That being said we don’t always agree on everything nor do we have the same parenting style . But we get along and enjoy each other’s company and the kids absolutely benefit from this. When we divorced the judge asked are you sure you want to do this you both get along so well. Sometimes it’s better being friends. He is also the only family I have. We respect each other as well. We wanted to make sure the kids see this. That even though we’re no longer married it does not have to be nasty or mean. We still like each other and will forever be linked by three beautiful beings. ♥️

My parents divorce when i was 9. My father married my moms best friend. I spent the next 9 years going back and forth ever other weekend. I listened to everyone complain about the other. Missed out on a lot of things because it was the right weekend. I was never asked my opinion, it was always what they wanted. I am 58 years old and those 9 years are apart of the strange person i am today. Now i have a 6 years old grandson, going through some of the same problems. I hope i can help him through this process and hope him time will be better. I think you are doing a great job with your kids. You treat them like people and not kids or things. i dont know your whole story but, you tell them you love them and talk to them. It does make a difference.

Your divorced family functions better than my non-divorced family. My husband has never been much of a parent. He grew up with a father who felt his only role was to bring home the money and take care of the maintenance of the home. My husband has always gone by that same "tradition". He never disciplined our children. He never got involved in arguments. Never stood up for me when my children talked back to me. As my younger daughter said when she was a young teen, "he is oblivious". He doesn't know what's going on most of the time. So I have been mother and father. My girls are almost 22, and 25. I wish we had the same parenting relationship that you have with your EX. Kudos to you for doing it right.

We are not divorced but if we were, I believe we would do the same things for the sake of our son the way you have for your boys. Well done both of you.

I love this. I grew up like this. Lived with my mom and stepdad but my dad still came to family gatherings. My parents were friends. We definitely benefited from this type of maturity.

I think you and your ex are doing a great job raising your sons. It’s a blessing to have two parents who are committed to raising their kids. My divorce was a nightmare, and my ex husband has descended into alcoholism and mental illness. Our sons no longer enjoy any kind of relationship with him. I didn’t plan on being a single parent, but that is how it played out. You play the hand you’re dealt.

I love this! The depths of the importance of what y'all are doing is unquantifiable. Wish this was my upbringing

I wish i can be as chill as addie.

I love how raw/honest you are. You’re more than fair with your son’s father.

I’m divorced with four boys, two adults and two teenagers, I’m still friends with my ex husband, we’re always there for each other and he’s a great father to our children, we do almost every thing together, we love each other as friends, we were married for 20 years

Mayim, I'd love (and I'm sure others would) to hear from your Ex about his views on this co-parenting. I think we'd all learn a lot from hearing his persepective.

You are completely amazing ! I love that you’re so honest and true to yourself . Thank you for your openness and being so willing to share your thoughts and life with us out here !

I think this is so amazing!! My dad stopped talking to my mom after they divorced and stopped talking to my sister's mom after they divorced and literally is so immature about the whole thing. One time he told me to never mention my mom to his new wife, as if just because he divorced her meant that she no longer exists. It is still years of his life that he shared with someone and had a daughter with (me) and same goes for my sister... I think it is so nice of parents to have a good relationship for their kids, and maybe if they ended on bad terms and think they can't travel together as Mayim does, at least do smaller things like a day out, birthdays, dinners, Christmas, etc..

I am so glad you shared this! People always question why we spend holidays together, why we have taken vacations together.....for our children! My ex and I are both remarried and luckily, our spouses agree. It can get confusing and you can sure get tired of explaining it, but it is what works for us!

You’re amazing. Thank you for sharing, Mayim! 💞

My toddler was very excited to see that this video featured a cat in the background and you were wearing a cat on your shirt as well. She talked about it through the whole video.

Thank you for this. Thank you so much! I'm a divorce mediator, collaborative divorce lawyer and I've been divorced. My parents were divorced, too. I've become a pre-divorce coach now, so I can help people get on the right path for their divorce. Your choice of process and lawyer or mediator is CRITICAL to the trajectory of the divorce.

I love this so much! I am my husband's third wife. His first was his high school sweetheart and were married for ten years. Both families were friends and so when they divorced they remained friends too. It's actually one of the things that I found endearing about him. His 2nd marriage did not fare so well and sadly, it was his friendship with his first wife that she didn't agree with. Then comes me. I had to come to terms with two ex wive's, and one ex family. I had no qualms about any of it because all our experiences are what mold us into the people we are. He had learned something from both marriages. I'm a firm believer in choosing kindness and respect. My husband and I both believe that bitterness houldnt be part of divorce because you loved the person at one time in your life, so while being hurt is fine, being nasty to each other doesn't do anything for anyone. His first wife and her family are lovely people and when we had our son, the first wife and Family would send my son birthday and Christmas gifts. I thought that was the coolest thing and it gave my son three sets of grandparents. We've been married 26 years and are still friends with the first wife, her 2nd husband, saw her her through the loss of her parents. There's something beautiful about sharing lives with people who you have a long history with. For us, it works. I love that your kitty is wearing a daredevil mask🤣

I just celebrated my 28th anniversary and can't imagine my life without my husband. So I can't weigh in on that sort of knowledge, but I did come from a divorced family. I spent time between my mom and dad's house for the first few years, but then my dad disappeared. Myself and my siblings were then raised exclusively by my single mom (who then met a mean man.. who she eventually (after a few years) kicked to the curb.) I believe in my vows to my husband, in sickness and in health, for better or worse. We have to communicate and work at it. Life isn't always candy and roses but we are good for each other and better together than we would be apart.

I guess Ginsberg was right in saying, " The weight of the world is love. Under the burden of solitude, under the burden of dissatisfaction the weight, the weight we carry is love."

This is inspiring. My husband’s parents got divorced when he was 2, and his dad got remarried about a year later to a woman who has always been incredibly kind and supportive of me. I wish she was my mother-in-law. My actual MIL has never liked me and never liked the woman my father-in-law remarried. One of the reasons she gave for not wanting to attend our wedding was that my husband’s stepmom was going to be there. At the time we got married, my FIL and my husband’s stepmom had been married for about 30 years. My MIL didn’t want me to marry my husband. My stepmom thinks we are a great match (and usually we are!). But I wish we could go visit his parents all together and not have to divide up holidays as much as we do. Also, my parents were happily married for 27 years until my dad was killed by a drunk driver, so the divorced family dynamics was something I wasn’t very familiar with when I got together with my husband. And having watched my parents for 25 years definitely impacts what I’m like as a wife.

I've been divorced for 4 years now and it's been a long, painful and confusing journey. Although everyone has a different experience, some of the things you have talked about involving your divorce have really hit home with me and helped me realize that I'm not some broken person who doesn't deserve love. This vulnerability is more helpful to people than you may realize. This is quickly becoming one of my favorite podcasts. In short..... Thank you, Mayim

I was literally singing "tradition!"🎶

I have a similar relationship with my son's father...but...if my ex was involved with another woman, I don't think I would be as eager to use my limited resources (time and money) trying to be one big happy modern family for the sake of my son. It would depend a lot on the other woman. ❤

Thank you for sharing Such a refreshing outlook on life after divorce. I’ve been separated from my husband ( of 27 yrs), and about to go move forward with the divorce. Your insight is thoughtful and humorous and a real pleasure to listen to. 💐

We're all human and make mistakes, but as someone who looks up to you as a role model I'm glad you make videos like this. This it what demonstrates to me in a real life kind of way that you make your decisions intellectually and functionally. As someone who struggles with mental illness going through University, laid back videos like this help me to make real life connections between what I'm learning about psychology in a text book sense to my real life (albeit slightly out of specific context in the case of this video). Your'e expressing your human emotions while explaining your natural thought process in how you filter those emotions and let them impact your actions, and thus the interactions of those around you. It's helping me apply my learnings to my own struggles practically. A million thanks.

I guess I don’t understand how you can work so hard at divorcing ‘correctly’ and not be able to work at having your marriage work.

0:09 Mayim: "Why in God's name would I do this?" Cat: "Meh, don't care"

What a wonderful thing you and their father are doing for them. As a child of divorce (now an adult and parent myself), I think this is such a healthy kind thing to do for your boys.

It is an added layer of complexity if betrayal and other bad behaviors keep you from trusting the person you divorced...it sort of prevents you from liking them enough to spend precious free time around them, as well.

Omg.I love your honesty so much.. You are so inspiring 🥰❤️

How will you work a new partner into this dynamic?

Wow hearing you describe your situation and especially traveling together I swear to God I said those exact same things about 5 years ago. My ex and I have been divorced since 2008 but we remain the best of friends. It was an obvious path we both wanted post-divorce. We even gave it a name: NFA - New Family Arrangement. It’s not an attempt to sugar coat divorce but rather an apt description of how our journey has evolved. OK - so in April 2015 I had to attend a conference in Glasgow which happened to coincide with our then 15-year old son’s spring break. So I offered to bring him with me, I’d take time off after the conference and we’d go somewhere in the U.K. or Europe of his choosing. But then - genius! I also suggested my ex join us as she’s full Irish but had never visited Ireland or Scotland. And thus the 2015 NFA-cation was borne. There was one unintentionally hilarious boo boo on my part. Before we departed Dulles I took a selfie of the three of us on the plane and quickly posted to FB. Seemed innocent enough, right? Well.... six hours later we were waiting to change planes in Dublin, and naturally I took advantage of the free airport WiFi. Holy mother of Isaiah over the course of six hours my phone had done blowed up! Apparently everyone from mutual friends to my sister (who should know better) to my ex mother in law (who doesn’t) were trying to reach us. Why? To offer their congratulations on our having remarried (each other) and taken our son on our re-honeymoon of course! My ex has a sense of humor and took pity on me by agreeing to split the list of people I was faced with having to dispel the “fantasy reconciliation rumor” I’d accidentally started. Oops.

As a psychologist, these comments are great as a resource to couples with whom I work as they go through divorce and deal with the reality of co-parenting. Thank you!

It seems like"co parenting" might be the best relationship, since it's based on full agreement between both parties.

I have crazy, mad respect for you and your ex. I come from a broken home and it was NOT handled as well as your's and your ex's divorce. It was terrible, fighting and pitting one kid against another parent. This is one of the biggest reasons I follow your channel even when I disagree, is that you think beyond yourself. -KC

Nailed it!!!!! I have the same relationship with my ex husband and so few people understand. I was so glad to see I’m not the only one who feels likes this.

My mom is twice divorced but has always had a great attitude about my dad and step dad. During pre marital counseling the pastor asked if my parents were civil. I said yea they’re friends! He said that is the greatest gift parents can give to their kids divorced or married. Love the message you’re sharing and how you encourage divorced couples to do what’s most beneficial for the kids. ❤️

Off topic but I love your cats hat/head :) batcat!

Kudos for you for actually putting the kids first. I am curious as to how this would work if new partners were in the mix. Would they come too? Now that would be crazy!

I love this. My ex and I get along better now then we ever did. And we can do alot of things together with our daughter. It makes everything so much easier and it's great for kids to see that!! Thanks for sharing this

You may not see my post, ever, but you have no idea how great are these videos, I can relate to most of the things you talk about. Just had my 3rd baby and going crazy. Your videos help me so much. Thanks

Thanks God I'm married but my parents are divorced and in the classic way: they hate each other, is very difficult to see them in the same place at the same time. My barmitzbah was one of those occasions and was tense... Great that you (both of you) are trying that for your kids 😀

Thats in the best interest for the kids, wish more parents within reasonable circumstances came to realize kids need both parents to grow physically and mentally and emotionally ...it has a big impact !!!

Good on you for giving your kids the support of their extended family. Traveling together is stressful even for intact families. Pulling it off for your kids' sake is laudable.

I am not married, I don't have kids. But I am a child of divorce and because of that I only met my father when I was 22 and I had to do it without telling my mother about it. I guess that's why I love this videos because ultimately what you are talking about is respect and putting your children's needs above yours, and that is something that need to be talked about, this respect is something that can avoid so much pain. Congrtulations not only on the way you deal but for sharing and helping others.

Omg your shirt is AMAZING!!! I love cats and i love you! ( as a friend... you know...) (And your cat in the backround is so fucking cute and sweet) Good video, your a good open person.

You should have your kids react to some of your scenes in Big Bang theory and ps. Your an amazing person and I love you as amy and as yourself your amazing at both

To see you as a normal person outside of a sitcom, is refreshing. Have only seen you as a actor till now. Good information. Thanks

My ex-husband and I were married when we were both young, 20, quiet, lived with our parents and had very little experience with life. We grew up in the next 9 years and had 3 children together. Many things that you talked about were true for us. I liked my ex-husband and still do. We had fun together, we enjoyed board games in particular and card games. Our lives revolved around our extended families. During those 9 years as we grew, we grew up differently. Our styles of handling problems became quite different. We were divorced when our children were almost 5, 3 and 1/2 and 1 and 1/2. We had some really rough times from the time we separated through the first few months of being divorced. We realized that we had chosen to have these children together and we owed it to our children and to each other to continue to be their parents. Yes, it was hard some times but we got through it. We got through it well! There was an event in our lives that somewhat traumatized all of us. We took the children in for counseling to be sure we were doing things right and they were recovering as well as could be expected. The therapists asked to speak to us, as their parents. They told us that they had come through the event just fine and they didn't believe there would be any lasting effects. The reason they wanted to talk with us was how well our children were mental health wise. They said almost every child of divorce has certain after effects that will show up regularly in evaluations of mental status. Our children had absolutely none of those markers. They talked with us about how we accomplished this. We thought it was a gimme! The children came first. We arranged our lives and in each aspect, they were our first priority. My ex-husband was always considered part of my extended family and still is. We talked and planned. Until our children were out of high-school we talked every day so we were never out of our children's lives. Our children are now 42, 40 and 38. We have 5 grandchildren. My ex-husband just celebrated his 25th wedding anniversary and I am happy for him. Our children have told us they always felt loved by both of us. They said they knew we would be there for them, always. We always were and we always will be. By-the-way when my middle daughter got married in Los Vegas, my ex flew me, the other two children and my daughter's son to Los Vagas and paid for our hotel rooms so we could all be there. My ex and I ended up spending a whole day, from early morning to late at night, just the two of us and our 6-year-old grandson. We went to the Hoover Dam and then did fun things for a 6-year-old for the rest of the day until the time when plans had been made pre-wedding. Our grandson had a wonderful time and I remembered so clearly why we were not married anymore! There is no reason to cause your children any more stress than modern day life places upon them. They need to know they have a solid grounding of two arents behind them always!

I know divorce sucks. My parents are divorced and they have been since I was 17. Being parents is still the number one thing with divorces. I wish my parents still stayed in somewhat in good terms, even if it was a little of it.

I am glad your making it work and that the focus is good co parenting

I consider my husbands ex wife one of my closest friends. I know without a shadow of a doubt to the children are the most important part of each or our lives and we choose to build a relationship with each other. We all sit down every Monday night and have family dinner so that the kids can feel some sort of normalcy and have all of their parents in one room regularly. I works beautifully but a lot of people think we are insane.

Wuooo, me siento tan identificada contigo! La gente piensa siempre que un divorcio es catastrófico para la vida familiar y que debes amputarle a tus hijos estas experiencias por haber tomado la decisión y no es así. Parece que las personas de alrededor no entienden que puedes estar mejor de la forma en la que no todos lo están. Un abrazo y me siento muy feliz de encontrar a personas que piensen, lo expresen y ayuden a ser factor de cambio.

I don't think I could ever in a million years be in the same room with my ex wife I commend you for this...

This is all well and good, but I think you are passing over one of the huge deciding factors of vacationing with your ex; why you got divorced in the first place. If there was abuse, cheating, or substance abuse problems, then those are all non-starters for vacationing with your ex. And you also do not cover new significant others. Do they tag along? And if not, is this a cause for tension? (it seems like it very well could be.) Being still married, it is very difficult for me to picture something that would be bad enough to cause me to divorce my spouse, but at the same time leave us in a good enough place where we could still travel together amicably.

When I started watching this, I was unsure how I would feel about something like this if I was to live my life the same way, but towards the end I was fully convinced that its an odd but a great idea!!

My husband and I separated 20 years ago when our kids were babies. We remained friends (most of the time), and also parented and celebrated special occasions together. Last fall, 19 years later, we have happily reunited! Our family story is not traditional, but it works for us! ❤ Both of our young adult kids are in loving, respectful relationships and seem to be happy, healthy, and well adjusted individuals!