How to Create a Holiday Schedule: A Guide for Parents Sharing Child Custody
With the holidays right around the corner, many parents will need to adjust scheduling related to timesharing issues. Even when things run smoothly the rest of the year, there are special challenges when it comes to divvying up time between two households. You may have come to an agreement regarding holiday co-parenting in the past, but each year brings new considerations.
As you’re probably aware, it’s always better to compromise on these time-sharing issues as opposed to going to court. A Florida child custody and visitation attorney can advise you during the process, but you might find it helpful to review some tips on how to reach an agreement that works for your situation.
Create a List of Priorities: Before you open the conversation with your child’s other parent, itemize your priorities for the holiday season. There are probably certain events that you’re required to attend with your children, especially when other family members expect to see them. If you celebrate with specific traditions, jot these down in order of their importance to you. Of course, you’ll need to be willing to bend on some of your ex’s wishes as well. You avoid having the discussion turn into a battle when you decide in advance.
Be mindful of your children’s schedules: They’ll be on break from school for at least some of the holiday season. If they don’t have to get up early, they don’t want to get up early. Your children will want to spend at least part of their break doing their own thing and spending time with their friends. Be respectful of their needs.
Keep an Open Mind: If you’ve just recently gone through divorce proceedings, you could be drained by the process. However difficult the circumstances, approach the topic of holiday visitation with a positive attitude – and without personal, emotional baggage. A level head and calm demeanor is more likely to result in a time-sharing agreement that suits your entire family.
Allow for Some Flexibility: It’s likely that unexpected circumstances will arise at some point over the holidays, so you may need to make last-minute changes that contradict the arrangement that you’ve agreed upon. As such, you’ll need to be flexible with time-sharing over the holidays. You should be willing to make some switches to the schedule as necessary, as long as you’re not bending over backwards to accommodate unreasonable requests.
Trust a Florida Child Custody and Visitation Lawyer to Assist with Holiday Time-Sharing
These tips may be useful to working out holiday visitation, but they may not work for every situation. You may need legal help in negotiating with your child’s other parent, or you might need representation if it’s necessary to go to court regarding the issue. For more information on visitation issues over the holidays, please contact the Dade City child custody lawyers at the Law Office of Laurie R. Chane. You can schedule a consultation with an experienced attorney by calling 352-567-0055 or visiting us online.
Resource:
leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=0000-0099/0061/Sections/0061.13.html
