The holiday season is a time for slowing down the demands of daily life and taking some time to appreciate your loved ones. However, it can also be a time of high emotions, especially if you have newly divorced. Even though one relationship has come to an end, you may still have a close relationship with your child and probably feel excited to celebrate with them.
Many divorced spouses feel anxious about how to handle child custody during the holidays. Parents may wonder how to divide holidays, what their child wants, or whether they could even celebrate together.
When it’s time to talk about special occasions like New Year’s Eve and Christmas, you can make a few suggestions and plan to compromise.
A few things you can do to make this process easier include:
- Offer to alternate major holidays each year
- Plan separate celebrations for the same holiday on different days or weekends
- Consider how much your child would travel, particularly during back-to-back holidays
- Avoid pressuring your child to choose between parents
- Keep negotiations as friendly and fair as possible
If the other parent is refusing to work out a reasonable custody agreement for the holidays, you may want to speak with a child custody lawyer. Your holiday season should not have to involve long disputes or confusion over where your child will be. Instead, save the time and energy to make the most of the festivities you have with your child.