Custody and the Holidays

Enjoying the Season

With the holidays quickly approaching, it’s essential for co-parents to keep their custody arrangements in mind when making holiday plans. Co-parents should work together to create the best possible holiday season for their children. Here are some helpful tips to help you navigate this season.

Be Aware of Your Custody Agreement

While this might sound simplistic, it is important to be aware of what your custody order says so you can effectively plan parenting time with your children. One of the more common parenting time arrangements involves a child alternating holidays each year between their parents. For example, a mother might have Christmas in odd-numbered years and a father has Christmas in even-numbered years.

Other custody arrangements may have a different schedule for holiday parenting time. Understanding what your holiday schedule is ahead of time can help make the season smoother for parents and their children. Be aware of what your agreement says and be sure to follow it.

Communicate Changes

Sometimes unforeseen circumstances occur that warrant a change in the schedule originally put in place for the holiday. In these instances, it’s very important to communicate these changes as clearly and as early as possible to your co-parent. Ideally, the co-parents can help one another navigate the situation or come up with an alternate plan in the best interest of their children.

When scheduling conflicts arise, it’s very easy to feel frustrated and overwhelmed. In all cases, it is important to avoid expressing your frustrations with a co-parent in front of your children. It’s healthy to express your feelings, but you should never let that expression turn into badmouthing a co-parent, whether you are directly or indirectly in the presence of your children.

Focus On Your Kids

The purpose of your custody order is to serve the best interest of the children after the divorce. This standard should be a parent’s primary concern, even with the stress and excitement of the holiday season. Co-parents should work together to achieve this goal as holidays are often when people experience difficulty, especially in light of new changes to the traditional family dynamic.

Fundamentally, parents should do whatever they can to ease a child’s struggle with divorce during the holiday season. Whether your family continues to embrace older traditions or add new activities to your repertoire, be sure to pay attention to how your children are doing and what you can do to assist them.

Holiday Custody Issues

Unfortunately, the holidays can lend themselves to difficult custody scenarios, and if this is true of you, then it’s important to work with an attorney who can enforce your rights to parent your children. At Laubacher & Co., our goal is to personalize your experience and meet your needs while we navigate the waters of family law to bring you to a better shore.

To schedule a consultation with one of our attorneys, call us at (440) 336-8687 or visit us online.