The holiday season can be a stressful one for parents in Indiana and throughout the country. However, it can be even more so if you are no longer in a relationship with your child’s other parent. Fortunately, there are steps that you can take to ensure that your son or daughter has a positive Christmas experience.
Do what is in the child’s best interest
It’s critical that you put your child’s needs over your own when making plans to celebrate Christmas and the new year. For instance, if your son or daughter wants to eat Christmas dinner at your former spouse’s house, you should try to accommodate that request. This may be especially helpful if it means that your child gets to spend time with cousins or other extended family members.
Be proactive in creating a holiday parenting plan
Ideally, you will have a holiday parenting plan in place several weeks before the festive season begins. Doing so allows you to solicit feedback from your child and make changes to accommodate his or her school or social schedule. If your son or daughter has a job, it will be important to take that into account as many part-time workers are required to work on holidays.
Give your children a chance to relax
Your children shouldn’t have to spend a school break being shuttled between two households. Instead, they should be able to sleep in, eat cookies and simply enjoy being a kid. This may be done by allowing your son or daughter to spend consecutive days at the other parent’s house even if it means missing out on a day or two of parenting time.
If you have any questions or concerns about your parenting time arrangement, an attorney may be able to address them. Doing so may help to ensure that you get to see your children during the holidays without keeping them away from other family members.