Christmas is often described as a magical time of year, but for divorced parents, it can often be stressful. Having to share custody of your kids and possibly spend Christmas alone is nobody’s idea of fun. However, many parents are able to work through it and come up with workable custody schedules to ensure that children get to see both parents while on winter break.
Christmas is a time where your kids are off school and you may have time off work. So how can you determine child custody during Christmas in a fair way so both you and your ex get time with your children? Here are some ideas.
Split the Days
Christmas encompasses two days: Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Since you both may want to celebrate Christmas with the kids, you can each choose a day. One of you can have the kids on Christmas Eve until the evening (say 8 p.m. or 9 p.m.) and then the kids can spend Christmas Day with the other parent. This only works, however, if you live close to each other.
One Week at a Time
If you and your ex live a great distance from each other, you may want to consider having a week with the kids. Kids tend to have two weeks off school during this time, so you can get the first or second week and the other parent can have the other. You can still break it up at Christmas Eve, though, so you both can see the kids on Christmas.
What to Keep in Mind
Don’t argue with your ex about every holiday. Think about the holidays that are most important to you and develop a custody schedule from there. You may have to compromise or create new traditions, and that’s OK. Life for you and the children will change to some degree after a divorce.
Also, plan your Christmas time custody schedule well in advance. Don’t tell your kids the day before Christmas what will be happening. Confirm the schedule via email or phone and print out a hard copy. You may want to give a copy to your lawyer for legal purposes.
If you have any questions regarding your child custody agreement for the holidays, or any other time of year, feel free to reach out to our divorce attorneys by
visiting our website or calling 720-542-6142.