Tips for Adjusting Holiday Parenting Time Schedules

 Posted on November 18,2019 in Uncategorized

Now that the end of fall is nearing, the weeks will start flying by, and the winter holidays will be here before you know it. While this time of the year is for celebrating, it can prove to be a difficult time for many families, especially for children whose parents no longer live together. Every parent wants to spend special days and holidays with their children, but the reality of co-parenting is that there will more than likely be situations in which your children will be with their other parent instead of with you. Parenting time schedules are often different during the holidays, and adjusting them can be difficult. Here are a few common ways parents can split parenting time during the holiday season:

• Change holidays every other year: One of the most common parenting time agreements is having the children spend holidays every other year with each parent. For example, if the kids spend Thanksgiving with their mother this year, then the next year they would spend that holiday with their father. This ensures that not more than one year passes before a parent can spend a holiday with their child.

• Split the holiday in half: Another popular parenting time agreement during the holidays is to split the day between both parents. This can be beneficial for parents who both want to spend time with their kids on one day, but it also requires proper planning to ensure each parent actually has adequate time with the children.

• Schedule two times to celebrate the holidays: If it is impossible for parents to split the day, and they do not want to miss celebrating with their children, scheduling a separate time to celebrate can be a good solution. For parents who both want to celebrate Christmas with their children, one parent can celebrate the holiday on Christmas Eve, while the other parent can celebrate on Christmas Day.

• Assign holidays to each parent: Some parents may consider certain holidays more important than others. For instance, a parent who celebrates Hanukkah rather than Christmas can always ask to have their children on that day, while the other parent may always have the children on Christmas, no matter what.

Contact a Kane County Divorce Attorney

If you and your former spouse are separated or divorced from each other, it can seem overwhelming to figure out who gets to spend time with your children on certain holidays. While trying to reach an agreement with your ex can be frustrating, having help from a North Aurora, IL parenting time agreement lawyer can be extremely beneficial. At the Law Office of Matthew M. Williams, P.C., we can help you and your ex-spouse agree on a parenting time schedule that works for everyone. Call our office today at 630-409-8184 to schedule a consultation.

Sources:

https://www.custodyxchange.com/examples/holidays/

http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs4.asp?ActID=2086&ChapterID=59&SeqStart=8300000&SeqEnd=10000000