The holiday season has the potential to be joyous on many fronts, especially if you have children. However, if you’re co-parenting with your ex-spouse, it’s not always easy to get everyone on the same page.
When it comes to creating a holiday visitation schedule, the first thing you should do is review your parenting agreement.
If you didn’t include any terms and conditions regarding the holidays, you’ll need to work with your ex to create a schedule. Here are some tips for doing so:
- Don’t be selfish: As much as you want to spend every waking hour with your children during the holidays, your ex probably feels the same way. Think about their feelings, too.
- Split time: For example, if you both want to spend Thanksgiving Day with your children, one of you can do so in the morning while the other gets the afternoon hours.
- Plan in advance: Waiting too long to create a holiday visitation schedule is one of the biggest mistakes you can make. The sooner you create a plan, the easier it becomes to get on the same page. Also, after you have a plan in place, do your best to stick with it.
As long as you and your ex are both willing to negotiate and compromise, you should be able to eventually create a holiday visitation schedule that works for the two of you and your children.
Should your ex make things difficult, such as by violating a previously ordered parenting agreement, it’s critical to learn more about your legal rights and the steps you can take to protect them.