Stores are stocking up on supplies and decorating for the winter holiday season. If this will be your first year as a divorced or single parent, it can be disheartening. You are likely facing dramatic differences in how the holidays will be celebrated in your family. In creating a parenting plan in Boca Raton, the following are tips to help you prepare.
Incorporating Holidays Into Child Time-Sharing Arrangements
Under the Florida Statutes, child time-sharing is generally encouraged in cases involving single or divorcing parents. Parenting plans are generally used in making these arrangements.
Parenting plans in Boca Raton determine the amount of time the child spends in each parent’s home and addresses other important issues that often arise in these situations. This includes:
- Legal custody, which is the right to make important decisions on the child’s behalf, such as regarding their education and religious upbringing;
- The right to attend school functions and recreational activities the child is involved;
- Transportation arrangements, detailing how the child will travel between each parent’s home;
- Provisions for unexpected situations and how disputes will be resolved;
- Plans for school breaks, holidays, and other special occasions.
Generally, when making arrangements for holidays as part of a Boca Raton parenting plan, the distance between the two parent’s homes is a major factor. If they live close together, the child may be able to spend part of a day with each parent. If they live farther apart or otherwise prefer, they can divide the holidays, with each parent having rights based on odd or even years.
Adjusting To Holiday Parenting Plans
Regardless of which type of parenting plan arrangements you make, getting through the holiday season can be challenging. Long-standing traditions in your own or extended family can conflict with new time schedules, making it difficult for everyone involved.
As a parent, your top priority is to help your children adjust and enjoy the holiday season. The Child Mind Institute, a non-profit dedicated to help improve the mental health of children and their parents, offers these tips:
- Adjust your expectations: Let go of idealized notions and how you think the holidays should be.
- Be flexible in your arrangements: The first year a parenting plan is in place is likely to be the hardest. Be flexible in making any arrangements.
- Be open to new traditions: People get nostalgic at the holidays. Rather than focus on the past, consider making new traditions.
- Consult with your children: Depending on their age, give your children a voice in determining how the holidays should be spent.
Our Boca Raton Parenting Plan and Time-Sharing Attorneys Are Here To Help
In creating a parenting plan, it is important to address how the holidays will be handled now. At The Law Offices of David L. Hirschberg, P.A., we provide the trusted legal guidance you need and can help protect your rights throughout child time-sharing proceedings. To request a consultation with a Boca Raton family lawyer, give us a call or contact us online.
Sources:
https://childmind.org/article/divorced-for-the-holidays-what-to-give-the-kids/