The holidays can be a difficult time of year when parents are newly separated. It is important to have a holiday parenting plan in place to minimize conflict and stress during this busy time of the year. When planning a holiday parenting schedule, it is essential to check the children’s school and daycare calendars for closings and to create the holiday time around their time off.
After checking the school and daycare holiday breaks, we should look at where you want to spend your holiday. If you plan on travelling or visiting family out of the local area, you must coordinate with the other parent, provide emergency contact information, and your travel itinerary.
Next, we need to look at what your family’s traditions are and see if we can work with the other parent to allow you both to enjoy time with your children in a way that is familiar to them and special to you. Some parents will combine holidays to honor these traditions while others have their own special way of celebrating that allows for an equitable sharing of time.
However, the most common method of determining a parenting schedule is to rotate holidays on a yearly basis. For example, if the father has the Thanksgiving holiday in even years, then the mother will be allotted this parenting time in odd years. Furthermore, if the father has Thanksgiving with the children than often the mother will have Christmas with the children in that year. The following year this schedule would swap.
It is important to plan in advance, communicate clearly in writing such as text messages and emails, and most notably to enjoy this special time of year with the ones you love.
If you need help with your custody matter or have any questions about your custodial rights, please contact our office to schedule a consultation.