The last few months of the year are filled with holidays that are widely celebrated in the United States. Each one of these is a potential point of contention for divorced parents because they may each have their own ideas about how those days should be handled with the children.
One of the most important things for parents to do before the holidays creep up on them is to check the parenting plan to determine the parenting time schedule for those special days. Many parenting plans use an alternating holiday schedule, so one parent would have the children for Halloween on even years and the other parent has them on odd years. Understanding the parenting time schedule is often the easiest way to avoid issues.
Put the kids first
There may be times during the holiday season when adjusting the parenting time schedule is necessary. Maybe family members are coming in from out of town or there’s a special event that one parent would like to take the kids to. In those cases, it’s best for both parents to think carefully about what’s best for the children. Typically, holiday memories really stand out for children, so that’s something to consider.
All the rules for holidays should be included in the parenting plan. This may include how schedule changes and events, such as school plays, are handled. It’s best to get these set quickly to avoid potential stress in the future. Working with someone familiar with these matters may be beneficial to ensure everything is covered.
