When you and your co-parent were incorporating holidays into your custody agreement, it may never have occurred to you to include Halloween. However, if your child is still young enough to look forward to this holiday and require parental participation, you’re probably already starting to realize that you need to work out how both you and your co-parent can share in it with your child.
There’s no “right” way to do it. The important thing is not to take away from your child’s excitement by fighting over who does what with them.
There’s more to Halloween than trick-or-treating
Remember that it’s not just one day. Pumpkin patches, corn mazes and haunted house attractions are already open. There’s decorating, pumpkin carving, costume selection (or making) and Halloween movies.
Depending on your child’s age, you may want to find out what they want to do and then divide and conquer. Of course, most kids don’t complain about decorating two homes or helping to carve two pumpkins.
When it comes to classroom parties and other parent-supervised events, don’t make your child choose which parent they want there. Either determine which one will attend or both participate if you can do so amicably.
What about the big day?
Who has your child on Halloween can be a cause for conflict, but it doesn’t have to be. Whichever parent is scheduled to have them can do the trick-or-treating with them or you can both go (if you’re able to do so amicably). If you and your co-parent live near one another, your child can trick-or-treat in both neighborhoods.
Again, the focus should be on helping your child enjoy the holiday. Before you know it, they’ll be off to Halloween parties that don’t involve either of you. Remember that this is just the beginning of the holiday season, so if you don’t have your holiday parenting time schedule worked out or it needs some modifications, now’s the time to do it. Having experienced legal guidance always helps.