Getting divorced as a parent means that you will have to consider how each decision you make will affect your children. Though you likely always keep your kids as your top priority anyway, it is even more crucial that you take the time to think about their needs now and in the future. As you think about your custody arrangements and parenting plan, now is the time to think about how you want to divide the holidays.
The end-of-year holiday season is quickly approaching, and deciding with whom the children will spend each holiday can be tricky. If you and your ex-spouse can work together, you may have the ability to create an arrangement that is fair without too much fuss.
Options for Dividing Holidays
Each family is different, so the way that you choose to divide holiday time may differ from other divorced Georgia parents whom you know. Some options you may wish to consider include the following:
- Create an arrangement that allows for the kids to spend the same holidays with the same parent each year.
- Alternate the holidays so that you have the kids on a specific holiday, like Christmas, one year, and the other parent has the kids for the same holiday the next year.
- If feasible, you could also choose to split each holiday between the two of you. The kids may spend the morning of the holiday with you and then go to the other parent’s home in the afternoon.
When determining which holidays each parent should have the kids, it may help to consider which holidays are more important to each of you. For example, you may not care much for dressing up and taking the kids house to house trick-or-treating every Halloween, but the other parent may thrive on spooky festivities and loves to enjoy them with the kids. If so, you may agree to the other parent having the kids every Halloween in exchange for having the kids on a holiday that is important to you.
Remember the Non-major Holidays
While Thanksgiving and Christmas are often the top holidays that people consider when thinking about custody, it is important to remember other holidays and special days as well. For example, you may not do anything to celebrate Columbus Day, but if the kids are out of school, it is important to know which parent will have them that day. Plus, birthdays are special days that you might want to consider as well.
Though it can feel tedious to comb through every important event of the year, it could prevent conflicts in the future to have those arrangements made in advance and in a legally binding document.