Most parents want to spend time with their children during the holidays. However, it can be challenging to decide who gets what time during school holidays.
Having a holiday schedule in place allows parents and children to make plans well in advance; in particular enabling each parent to plan for their respective major holidays. Plus, it gives the children stability knowing where they’ll be during specific times.
A well-planned holiday schedule also eliminates arguments and disagreements prior to the holiday period – we have seen many occasions of stressful discussions where things
have been left until just prior to the holidays. That often will also damage your parental relations and affect other matters you need to deal with as co-parents.
Holidays are also an opportunity for kids to see family members they are not frequently around; and so preserve those family connections too. Even just extended time with
their respective parents though is enriching.
How to create a holiday schedule
There are various ways to decide how you and your ex-partner create a holiday schedule. You might want to share major holidays and keep to your regular contact pattern for shorter holidays, like half terms.
Alternatively, you may want to alternate holidays each year; or have fixed weeks.
Regardless of what you choose, it is important to be clear on how you plan to split holiday time in your parenting plan, so no one is surprised. When creating your parenting plan, take into consideration that there are different options when it comes to sharing holidays with your children.
Here are some of the ways you can create your holiday schedule:
- Sharing holiday time
- Alternating the years
- Splitting holidays
- Dividing holidays based on regular contact arrangement
- Deciding on special holidays each parent will spend with the child e.g. to take account of religious or other festivals one or both of the parents celebrate.
Holidays during the school year
During the school year, many parents decide to share the school holidays equally and so a different pattern occurs to that which is followed during term time. The Christmas
and New Year holiday is often where parents typically alternate so the children can spend time with each of them for the days of Christmas that are usually considered particularly special, on alternate years.
Splitting holidays is often seen with half terms where, for example, each parent has the whole of one half term each year and the third half term is split between them.
Agreeing a parenting plan
A parenting plan – which includes setting out parenting arrangements in addition to just holiday periods – or holiday schedule can be agreed directly between you, at mediation
where an independent Mediator will help you discuss your options, within the collaborative process where your respective collaborative lawyers will assist you both, or via your solicitors.
Overall, there is no right or wrong answer but rather what is best for your family and what works for your children.
If you need help and assistance with a parenting plan or holiday schedule, please get in touch.