The holiday season is here!

No matter which holidays you celebrate, or how far in advance you begin preparations, the holiday season is always busy and stressful. But when you share custody of your children with an ex, the holiday season can turn into a battleground when conflicting family events put your co-parenting arrangement to the test.

Minimize conflict with your ex by following these 3 simple tips on sharing custody during the holiday season:

1) Check your parenting plan

Chances are, you and your ex established a parenting plan when deciding custody arrangements. A good parenting plan will specify which holidays are spent with which parent – does yours?
If your parenting plan states that the children will spend a certain holiday with your ex, it’s important to abide by the parenting plan as much as possible. The parenting plan was established to provide stability and consistency to the children, as well as minimize potential conflicts between the parents. Too many requests to deviate from the parenting plan can weaken its importance and cause unnecessary confusion and disagreements.
Sometimes, special circumstances warrant a change in the parenting plan. Just remember that, unless your parenting plan specifies that it’s your turn with the kids, your ex has every right to refuse.

2) Work on a compromise

Is there a compromise that might make your ex more open to agreeing? Whether it’s offering to switch one holiday for another, or to make the switch easier by handling the transportation duties, sometimes a good old-fashioned compromise can go a long way towards reaching an amicable solution that works for the whole family.

3) Wait to tell the kids

As excited as you may be about the prospect of taking the kids to Grandma’s for holiday dinner, you’ll save yourself a lot of hassle later on if you wait to discuss a potential change in plans with your children until after you and your ex have finalized plans. Waiting to tell the kids not only prevents a “good parent/ bad parent” impression; it shows your ex that your respect his or her decisions and promotes healthy joint decision-making.

Experienced custody representation for New York families

At the Law Offices of Stacy Sabatini, Esq. we work hard to help families reach custody agreements and parenting plans that help keep the family united while going through a post-split transition. To find out more about our custody and other family law services, contact us today for your initial consultation either online at www.sskfamilylaw.com or via email online here.

From our New City, New York office, we proudly represent New York families in Rockland, Orange, and Westchester counties.