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Parenting Time Orders and the Holidays

Calendar with dates and Thanksgiving marked.

Whether you want to believe it or not, the holiday season is fast approaching. Before you know it, the kids will have some time off to spend time with you. However, this time of year can bring more stress as a single or co-parent. Balancing your parenting time order while also trying to have a relaxing holiday season is complicated. That’s why Law Offices of William L. Geary wants to explain potential parenting time order solutions for a more relaxing holiday.

Fixed Holidays

One way to arrange your parenting schedule is to assign fixed holidays. For example, one parent may celebrate Christmas, while the other does not. If this is the case, parents can agree to let the kids stay with one parent on their respective holidays. This is a great arrangement because each parent gets to have special time with their children on important days. Furthermore, schedules will remain the same year-to-year, providing consistency for the whole family, especially the children.

Alternate Holidays

If the parents celebrate the same holidays, there are other ways to arrange parenting schedules for success. For example, alternating holidays means that parents switch who gets the kids back and forth each year. This gives each parent a turn to spend time with the kids during the holiday season. However, this arrangement might not please all co-parents. Many individuals want to see their children every year during the holidays, which is a valid concern.

Split Holidays

If co-parents live close enough to one another, splitting the holiday might be a useful arrangement. The kids can spend the first half of the day with one parent and the other half with the other. The positives to this situation are that the children get to see both parents and sides of the family on the same day; furthermore, both parents also get to spend time with them during the holidays. However, if co-parents live far apart from each other, this might not be a good arrangement. The kids should not have to spend the majority of their day traveling.

Contact Law Offices of William L. Geary For Parenting Time Modifications

The above suggestions for holiday parenting time orders are just a dent in the list of possibilities. Most importantly, the parenting arrangement works best for the whole family, especially the children. Our family law team can help you find your best parenting schedule today.

If you need assistance with your child custody order, contact Law Offices of William L. Geary today at (614) 289-1227 to speak with our child custody and visitation attorney.