Creating a Holiday Schedule for the Kids During (and After) Divorce
With the holidays in full swing, we often see couples who are divorcing struggle with the all-time stressful seasonal question – Who gets the kids for the holidays?
It’s one of the top questions that comes up during the collaborative divorce process. Our team of professionals– divorce coaches, mental health therapists and child specialists–along with input from the couple and their children, can work together to put together a co-parenting holiday child sharing plan before the holidays come around.
Here are a few points to keep in mind as you work through the holiday visitation process:
- The children should NOT be used as pawns in the process – it’s wrong to do this on so many emotional levels and erodes trust between the parent and the child
- If the children are old enough, they should be included on how the visitation schedule comes together
- School schedules should have some bearing on the arrangements
- The plan should rotate yearly – one parent may get the child on Christmas Day, while the other on Christmas Eve, then switch the following year
And please, make sure you and your spouse remember that a successful co-parenting holiday plan keeps the children’s best interest in mind for the long term, not just an upcoming date on the calendar.
Collaborative Practice of San Diego is a nonprofit, multi-disciplinary referral network of independent professionals–attorneys, mental health professionals and financial advisors– working together to learn, practice, and promote Collaborative processes for problem solving and peaceful resolution of family law issues in regard to co-parenting, with an eye toward preserving the emotional, as well as the financial assets of the family.
Contact us today to learn how to develop a custody plan for the holidays that help make to your holidays less stressful!
Note: This information is general in nature and should not be construed as legal/financial/tax/or mental health advice. You should work with your attorney, financial, mental health or tax professional to determine what will work best for your situation.
