Addressing child custody schedules over the holidays can be a bit complicated for co-parents. Often, the schedule needs to be different than what they would do on an ordinary basis. It can be helpful for parents to talk about this in advance and have a plan in place.
But exactly how should you design that schedule? Every situation is unique, but below are a few ideas that you may want to keep in mind.
Alternating years
One of the easiest ways to split up holidays is to alternate the years in which each parent has the child on that holiday. This way, you know in advance which year is yours. For example, you have the child for Christmas this year and Thanksgiving next year, while your ex has them for Thanksgiving this year and Christmas next year.
Joint celebrations
For parents who are on good terms, another option can simply be to share the holidays. Maybe you and your ex live relatively close together. You can spend Christmas together with the child at one of your homes. Of course, this only works for amicable relationships where spending holidays together will not cause conflicts for the parents.
Dividing the days themselves
Finally, you can always split up the specific holidays. Maybe you have your child for Christmas morning, but then you take them to your ex’s house in the afternoon. The main drawback with this type of schedule is that you have to travel and exchange the child in the middle of the holiday, rather than relaxing and enjoying it.
No matter what you decide to do, it is very important to understand how the custody schedule has been established and what legal rights you have as a parent.