The holidays are upon us, and if you need help formulating a co-parenting plan, our Coral Gables family attorney has some tips.
Christmas break is a time of magic and making memories. For families dealing with timesharing, however, deciding who spends time with whom can be stressful. At Casais & Prias, our Coral Gables family attorney helps divorced parents create a plan that will keep everyone happy and celebrating through the new year. Here are our top tips for Christmas break co-parenting.
Revisit Your Co-Parenting Plan
Your parental responsibility agreement should have detailed your timesharing schedule, but it is a good idea to evaluate your schedule every few years to see if you need to make any changes. If you do need to adjust your co-parenting schedule, you should consult with a family attorney.
To create a plan for the longer school break at the end of December, you may need to compromise. If you always have your child on the weekends, and Christmas falls on Sunday, you will not necessarily get your child on Christmas. You and your co-parent need to have a conversation about the best way to split up the long holiday. If you cannot reach an agreement, a Coral Gables family attorney can help.
Consider Extended Family
If your former spouse has extended family coming into town to visit or your parents host a large family get-together, you and your co-parent should try to arrange for the child to see as many family members as possible. You should not make it difficult for the child to participate in all the family activities on both sides of the family.
Establishing bonds and traditions with grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins makes the holidays more enjoyable. Making memories is what it is all about, after all.
Consider Alternating Holidays
Christmas break is not the only long school break to take into consideration for co-parenting. Most kids get a few days to a week off of school around Thanksgiving too.
One way to arrange a timesharing schedule is to have the child stay with one parent over Thanksgiving and the other parent over Christmas break. If one holiday is more important to one parent and their extended family, this arrangement may work out. And you can revisit this schedule each year.
You could also arrange for the child to spend every Thanksgiving with one parent and every Christmas with the other parent, or alternate years and holidays in a way that works best for your child.
Keep A United Front
Creating a timesharing agreement can be difficult, but once the schedule has been made, each parent must stick to it and make transitions as smooth as possible. Stay positive and encouraging if the child expresses sadness or anxiety about going to the other parent’s home.
Travel can be tough on younger children, so making the trip an adventure can turn an anxious situation into a fun memory. It is all about the child, so you want to do everything you can to make the holiday enjoyable for them.
Know When To Call A Coral Gables Family Attorney
If you have trouble communicating with your co-parent and need an intermediary to act as your representative in negotiating a holiday timesharing schedule, call our family attorneys at Casais & Prias. Our team will work with your situation and will do everything we can to achieve the best possible outcome. Call us today to set up a free consultation. We look forward to helping you have a happy holiday!
