Holiday Scheduling After a Divorce

 
Going through a divorce can be challenging, especially when it comes to navigating the complexities of holiday scheduling. It's crucial to establish clear and detailed visitation schedules in your parenting plan to prevent future disputes and ensure a smoother transition for everyone involved.

The Importance of Detailed Visitation Schedules: One of the key elements in a parenting plan is the visitation schedule, outlining when each parent will spend time with the children. It’s typical to think about the school schedule – when each child will be with the parents during the school year, but holidays and breaks are often missed. When it comes to school breaks and holidays, having a detailed plan minimizes confusion and reduces the likelihood of disagreements. A well-thought-out schedule not only benefits parents but, more importantly, it provides stability and predictability.

Splitting Holidays: Finding a Fair Solution: Divorced parents often face the challenge of determining how to split holidays between them. There are various approaches, but one effective method is alternating years. In this arrangement, one parent has the children for specific holidays during even years, while the other parent takes those holidays during odd years. This approach ensures that both parents have the opportunity to create meaningful holiday memories with their children.

For example:

• Parent A may have Thanksgiving and Christmas during even years.
  
  
• Parent B would then have Thanksgiving and Christmas during odd years.

This system is not only fair but also provides a sense of consistency for the children, as they know what to expect each year.

Handling School Breaks with Equitable Solutions: In addition to holidays, school breaks present another challenge in co-parenting situations. Whether it's spring break, summer vacation, or other school-related breaks, it's important to address these periods in your parenting plan.

Consider incorporating the same even-odd year approach for shorter school breaks like Spring and Mid-Winter Break. Winter Breaks are often split in half, and Summer Breaks are often kept the same though regularly parents will get a week or two of uninterrupted summertime to have their own summer vacations.

This method extends the consistency established with holiday scheduling and helps create a fair balance between both parents.

Benefits of Alternating Years:

• Predictability: Children can anticipate where they will spend each holiday, reducing anxiety and uncertainty.
  
  
• Equitable Sharing: Both parents have the opportunity to celebrate special occasions with their children, promoting a sense of fairness.
  
  
• Reduced Conflict: A predetermined schedule minimizes the potential for disagreements and conflicts over holiday plans.

Creating a detailed parenting plan that includes clear provisions for holiday and school break visitation is crucial for divorced parents. The even-odd year approach offers a fair and predictable solution, ensuring that both parents play an active role in their children's lives. Just remember that your parenting schedule – including holidays and breaks – should be carefully crafted to meet your needs. There is not a one size fits all for visitation, and the ideas above may not work in every situation. If you need assistance in crafting a comprehensive parenting plan or resolving visitation disputes, call the law office of Magnuson Lowell PS today for a free telephone case evaluation.

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