The holidays are right around the corner and if you have not already agreed on how to share the children for the holidays, you and your ex should start discussing where your children are going to spend each holiday. Please remember that Courts seldom (if ever) order holiday schedules on an ex parte (emergency) basis, so you don’t want to wait until the last minute before you contact your ex. You should start talking now so that you have sufficient time to enter into an agreement before the holidays, or, to seek assistance from the Court, mediator, or attorneys if you need help resolving the issues.
Of course, every family is different and how you choose to celebrate the holidays are unique. For example, one parent might celebrate on Christmas Eve while the other parent celebrates on Christmas Day. If that’s the case, sharing this holiday should be pretty simple: one parent will have the children every Christmas Eve and the other parent will have them every Christmas Day.
Sometimes, however, sharing holidays is not so simple. For example, how do you share holidays if one parent wants to take the children out of State for the holidays? Or if both parents celebrate the same holiday? In these cases, some parents decide to alternate holidays each year.
There are, of course, many creative ways to share the holidays – the above are only a few examples. However you choose to share holidays, remember that the most important consideration is what is in the best interest of your children. Most children want to see/talk with both parents on important days. If your children are not going to see the other parent on the holidays, consider allowing and encouraging them to call, FaceTime, or Skype with the other parent. The holidays should be a festive and joyous time for all involved. This can be achieved if you plan ahead and foster a loving, encouraging, and stress-free environment for your children.
We wish you and yours a Happy Holiday and joyous New Year.
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