As Halloween quickly approaches, children are picking out costumes and making plans for a fun-filled night of trick-or-treating. Nothing can spoil a child’s excitement for a holiday like the fighting between ex-spouses over where and with whom a special day like Halloween will be spent. Although ensuring both parents can spend time with their child on Halloween can be especially tricky for divorced couples, it can be the greatest treat they give their child.
The keys to successful Halloween co-parenting include planning ahead, communicating, and remaining flexible. Children will want to spend time with both of their parents on this holiday, which provides a perfect opportunity for co-parenting.
Spending Time Separately with Children on Halloween
If parents wish to spend time separately with their child on Halloween, there are several ways the holiday can be split. When both parents live near the child, each parent can take the child trick-or-treating in their own neighborhood for a portion of the night. An alternative arrangement would be for one parent to take the child trick-or-treating, only to end up at the other parent’s house at the end of the night. In some cases, one parent may have a Halloween party for the child close to the holiday while the other parent does the actual trick-or-treating with the child.
Taking the Child Trick-or-Treating Together
For many divorced parents, Halloween is the perfect holiday to spend time together with their child. Participating in trick-or-treating together as a family is often the most enjoyable way to celebrate Halloween for the children. This approach allows the child to see that although their parents are no longer together, they are united on putting the child’s interests before their own.
Keeping the Drama Out of Halloween
By remembering that Halloween is all about the children, ex-spouses can keep the drama out of the holiday. Parents should not react or feel slighted if their child wishes to remain close to their primary residence for trick-or-treating. Many children will request to stay with one parent over the other on Halloween as they want to trick-or-treat with their neighborhood friends. Be careful not to make a child feel like they need to choose one parent over another in this situation.
Another area where potential parenting conflicts occur during the Halloween season results in the choice of a Halloween costume. This is another area where co-parents should remember that the holiday remain child-centered. Do not use the choice of a Halloween costume as another issue to get one’s way. If a disagreement does occur, avoid fighting in front of the child.
Co-parents often seek the assistance of an experienced professional to help them negotiate child custody and visitation boundaries. Some divorced parents may be unable to create a successful holiday co-parenting plan without the assistance of a parenting coordinator, family counselor, mediator, or experienced child custody lawyer.
Baltimore County Child Custody Lawyers at Huesman, Jones & Miles, LLC Assist Divorced Couples with Holiday Parenting Plans
At Huesman, Jones & Miles, LLC, our experienced Baltimore County child custody lawyers help divorced parents with issues related to child custody, child support, and visitation. To schedule your free confidential consultation in our Towson or Hunt Valley, Maryland office today, call us at 443-589-0150 or submit an online inquiry form.
