TL;DR Holidays in high-conflict co-parenting are less “silent night” and more screaming fights. Stockings get stuffed with last-minute emails, schedules get ripped apart like wrapping paper, and family court lurks like an unwanted guest who refuses to leave.

Long Version: Because in high-conflict custody and divorce, the holidays aren’t “magic.” They’re leverage. Welcome to High Conflict Hell.

Thanksgiving becomes a custody showdown. Christmas becomes a negotiation. And the parenting plan you thought was “clear” turns into a choose-your-own-adventure written by your ex… interpreted by their lawyer… and enforced by whatever power play is happening that week.

In this episode, Jen and JeniLynn talk about holiday schedules in divorce and why high-conflict parents don’t just “follow the plan” — they weaponize it. We get into the panic of counting down to a break, screenshotting the holiday schedule, and then getting accused of “creating confusion” because you dared to document what’s literally written on the page.

We talk about:

• Holiday custody schedules and why exchanges become battlegrounds
• How Mother’s Day and Father’s Day get used as control moves (because of course they do)
• When “no flexibility” is the whole point — especially if ruining your holiday is the goal
• Kids noticing everything: who shows up, who doesn’t, who gets gifts, who gets punished
• The silent part nobody wants to say: phones get taken, calls don’t happen, and kids feel it
• How “traditions” don’t survive when conflict is the tradition

And then we go even deeper into the mind game: the way a toxic ex can flip the story so fast you start questioning your own reality. One minute it’s “I never get to see the kids,” the next minute it’s “Your mom doesn’t get holidays,” and suddenly the kids are stuck living in two different books — Mom’s house and Dad’s house — while the adults act like it’s normal.

We also talk about the exhausting math of holidays in divorce: planning trips when it’s not your year, trying not to fall apart, and watching your co-parent turn last-minute decisions into “hero moments” that still somehow cost you money, time, and sanity.

And because this is High Conflict Hell, we end with the only coping mechanism that makes sense: “What’s not the worst thing that happened to you this week?”
(Spoiler: the bar is in hell.)

If your co-parenting communication is respectful and holidays are peaceful — truly, bless you. But this is not your church.

If any of this hits…

Welcome, Hellion.
You’re exactly where you belong.

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TL;DR In high-conflict co-parenting, communication and money are weapons. Read receipts become evidence, screenshots get weaponized, and Cash App turns school supplies and skiing into a lesson in control.

Long Description
This is High Conflict Hell: two single moms living inside it, telling the truth out loud — so you don’t feel crazy for recognizing your own life in the details.

In high-conflict co-parenting, communication and money aren’t logistics — they’re weapons.

Read receipts become “proof.” Screenshots become “evidence.” And somehow, school supplies, contact lenses, and skiing turn into a full-blown lesson in control.

In this episode, Jen and JeniLynn get brutally honest about the moment things go from “we can make this work” to “oh… we’re going to court.” The turning point isn’t always a giant event — sometimes it’s the first time you realize the texts don’t even sound like your ex anymore. The grammar changes. The tone shifts. And suddenly, a third party is steering the narrative, the conflict, and the power plays.

We talk about what it’s like to parent inside a dynamic where the other person knows you’ll always cover the basics — and uses that as leverage. Where a parent can refuse to split a cost that directly impacts a child’s daily life — like contact lenses a kid needs to see safely — because conflict matters more than comfort.

We get into:

• weaponized expenses (school supplies, phones, sports, skiing) and the never-ending tit-for-tat
• how “reasonable” decisions become accusations (“you’re forcing me,” “you’re controlling,” “you’re the problem”)
• what happens when new partners step into custody and communication, whether intentionally or not
• the emotional toll on kids when everything is tense: soccer in the rain, split fields, split loyalties, split homes
• and the mind-bending reality of watching someone rewrite history — sometimes so confidently it ends up in court paperwork

And then we zoom out, because high conflict has a way of doing this thing: it makes everything else feel weirdly survivable. Car accidents. Lice. Fleas. Breakups. Failed inspections. None of it hits like the slow grind of daily conflict — the kind that turns ordinary parenting into a constant fight for stability.

If your co-parenting communication is reasonable, communication is respectful, and holidays are peaceful — honestly, congratulations. But this is not your church.

If any of this sounds familiar…

Welcome, Hellion.
You’re exactly where you belong.

https://www.highconflicthell.com/?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMjU2MjgxMDQwNTU4AAGn5xLFQKCaDCsVmeSwyQtuMydN-_xRj95O7286KH9LquDyIjAbTmDGt9baG9s_aem_0haCDjtc8nivJDk4bCOUpQ

https://www.youtube.com/@highconflicthell

https://www.instagram.com/highconflicthell/

https://www.tiktok.com/@highconflicthell