Valentine’s Day is right around the corner – and if this is your first one post-divorce, you don’t have to dread it. Check out this list of 17 fun-and-fabulous things you can do to keep yourself busy, whether you’re flying solo or you’re spending the day with your children.
Valentine’s Day After Divorce: 17 Things to Do When You’re Flying Solo (or With Kids)
Even if you’ve never really been big on Valentine’s Day, it can still be a tough holiday after a divorce. For many people, it’s a reminder that they’re single. Fortunately, there are plenty of things you can do in Stockton (or even at home) to have a fabulous day – and here are 17 of our favorite ideas:
Have a dinner date with your single friends
Learn a new recipe
Make crafts with your kids
Spoil someone (preferably yourself and your children)
Have a movie marathon with your kids
Get a massage
Take the kids to the Stockton Skate Park
Go to the Haggin Museum
Head to the Micke Grove Zoo
Hang out at Oak Grove Regional Park
Visit the Children’s Museum of Stockton
Stroll the Joan Darrah Promenade
Enjoy the World Peace Rose Garden at University Park
Visit the Stockton Cambodian Buddhist Temple (Wat Dhammararam)
Take your pups to the Barkleyville Dog Park
Curl up with your favorite book
Give yourself a self-guided walking tour of Stockton
Here are more details on each so you can plan your day.
#1. Have a dinner date with your single friends
If you’ve got single friends who are flying solo, have them over – you don’t have to stay home alone if you don’t want to. Have everyone bring a dish to pass so you don’t have to plan a big to-do.
#2. Learn a new recipe
Even if you’re not having anyone over, head to the supermarket and pick up all the ingredients for a new recipe you’ve been meaning to try. And if you’re not much of a cook, that’s okay – roll the dice and pick an online recipe that looks like something you’d enjoy and give it a shot.
#3. Make crafts with your kids
If you’ll have your children on your first Valentine’s day after divorce, create your own special traditions. You can draw, cut, paste and paint your way to a fun day of crafting. (And you don’t have to have your children to do this, either. Pick up a canvas and some paint, a skein of yarn or any other crafting materials that you enjoy working with and start crafting!)
#4. Spoil someone (preferably yourself and your children)
Take the kids out for a special dinner and a movie. You all deserve it!
#5. Have a movie marathon with your kids
Turn on Disney+ or Netflix and let the movie marathon commence. (Our suggestion: Watch all the Avengers movies in order – but be prepared to carry your marathon over into the weekend.)
#6. Get a massage
Treat yourself to a relaxing massage or spa treatment for Valentine’s Day after divorce. It’s a great way to recharge.
#7. Take the kids to the Stockton Skate Park
The Stockton Skate Park is open from sunrise to sunset and features a moon, small bowl, offset steps, rail, half-pipe, EMB, star, fun box, block and piano. Bring helmets and pads for a whole day of outdoor family fun.
#8. Go to the Haggin Museum
The Haggin Museum is a great place to view some of Stockton’s fabulous – but little-known – history and serious collections of art by renowned artists such as Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Jean Beraud, Rosa Bonheur and more.
#9. Head to the Micke Grove Zoo
The Micke Grove Zoo, a charming 5-acre park housing reptiles, birds, mammals such as marmoset, lemur, bobcats and snow leopards, the Southern pudu and more, is a great place to spend an afternoon. They’re open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Valentine’s Day.
#10. Hang out at Oak Grove Regional Park
Oak Grove Regional Park is home to beautiful nature trails, the Oak Grove Nature Center and Oak Grove Lake, and plenty of playgrounds. There’s even an 18-hole disc golf course if you play, and pets are welcome.
#11. Visit the Children’s Museum of Stockton
The Children’s Museum of Stockton is a hands-on discovery center that’s open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Valentine’s Day. There are more than 40 exhibits to enjoy, and there’s a toddler area, an outdoor playground and patio, and a spectacular reptile display.
#12. Stroll the Joan Darrah Promenade
Take a walk by the water (or ride your bike) at the Joan Darrah Promenade. You can get your steps in and enjoy views across the Delta, or watch the sun set from beneath the palms – and you’re moments from other great places to visit, like the Bob Hope Theatre and the Children’s Museum of Stockton.
#13. Enjoy the World Peace Rose Garden at University Park
The beautiful World Peace Rose Garden at University Park is home to more than 250 fragrant roses all year. You can write your own “Message of Peace” or read others created by local students and residents.
#14. Visit the Stockton Cambodian Buddhist Temple (Wat Dhammararam)
Wat Dhammararam is a beautiful, tranquil place filled with oversized sculptures (more than 90 of them, in fact) that celebrate the life and story of the Cambodian Buddha. You can download the visitor’s guide here.
#15. Take your pups to the Barkleyville Dog Park
The Barkleyville Dog Park is a great place for pups of all sizes. There are three separate areas – one for small dogs (under 20 pounds), one for larger dogs (over 20 pounds) and a separate play and agility course. There are benches for pet parents and always-full dog water fountains, and they’re open from an hour before sunrise to an hour after sunset.
#16. Curl up with your favorite book
If a book is more your speed than a movie marathon or a visit to a Buddhist temple, pick out an old favorite – or visit one of the Stockton Library’s eight branches to pick up something new. (There are eight San Joaquin County libraries, too.)
#17. Give yourself a self-guided walking tour of Stockton
If you’ve never taken a self-guided art and history tour of Stockton, Valentine’s Day is a great time. You’ll see everything from the old Emergency Hospital on North San Joaquin Street to the historic B&M Building on Bridge Place. Get a map and all the details here.
Are You Contemplating Divorce?
If you’re considering divorce, whether you’re still living with your spouse or you’re living apart, we can help you. Call us at (209) 546-6246 to set up a consultation so you can learn about your options – and get answers to all your questions – today.
When you’re a parent going through a divorce, your main concern is your kids – and that’s exactly how it should be.
If you’re like most parents, one of your primary goals is to keep your kids on an even keel, and that involves working out a parenting time agreement with your soon-to-be ex-spouse.
But where do you even start?
How to Work Out a Parenting Time Agreement With Your Spouse During Divorce
First things first: If you and your spouse can agree on a parenting time agreement, and if it meets your children’s needs, the court will likely agree to it. If you and your spouse can’t agree, the judge in your case will have to make a plan for you. While judges do their best to tremain fair and impartial, nobody knows your kids like you and your spouse do – and you two are, by far, the most qualified people to choose what’s best for your own children.
You may want to think about divorce mediation if you’re unable to reach an agreement with your spouse. Mediation can help your divorce run more smoothly in other areas, too (not just child custody and parenting time).
A Typical Parenting Time Agreement
For many parents, it makes sense to evaluate your kids’ lifestyles and needs before deciding on a parenting plan. Are the kids involved in extracurricular activities? Where do they go to school, and where will each of you live during and after the divorce?
Ask yourselves:
Who’s the primary caregiver right now?
Is one of you more able, right now, to provide one-on-one care for the kids?
Does one of you have a more flexible work schedule than the other?
Do your children have a preference?
How far will the kids be, if at all, from friends and family if they’re living with each of you for most of the time?
Is one of you better suited to weekend time with the kids?
Many parents decide to have their children stay in one home through the week, particularly during the school year, and in another on the weekends and on every other holiday. While there’s no one-size-fits-all answer to parenting time, that can be a good framework you and your spouse can work from as you’re working on your parenting time agreement.
A Word on Child Support
While the parent who has the children most of the time is more likely to be the one receiving child support, it’s important to remember that in California, both parents are supposed to contribute to their kids’ upbringing. (That doesn’t only refer to financial support, though; it refers to emotional support and time together, as well.)
Child support varies based on several factors, including how much money each parent makes, how much time the children spend with each parent, and how many children you share with your ex-spouse.
Do You Need to Talk to a Stockton Child Custody Lawyer?
You don’t have to face all of this alone. If you’re contemplating divorce, or if your spouse has already filed for divorce, you can work with a Stockton child custody attorney who understands what you (and your children) are going through – and who can help you develop a parenting time agreement that works for your whole family.
Call us at 209-910-9865 or get in touch with us online to talk to a Stockton child custody lawyer who can help today.
