Planning for Parenting Time: Ohio's Guide for Parents Living Apart

Holidays, Vacations and School Breaks
HOLIDAYS, VACATIONS & SCHOOL BREAKS
The schedule for holidays, vacations and school breaks takes priority
over the regularly scheduled parenting time. In deciding how to schedule
these events, think about it from your child’s point of view. Children
enjoy having the opportunity to have special time with each parent and
extended family members. Each parent may need to encourage his or her
extended family to adjust some of their schedules so the child can
participate in celebrations during parenting time. Also, think about the
child’s need to have contact with the other parent during extended
vacation time. Scheduled phone calls during a vacation can help reduce
anxiety for both the parent and the child without disrupting the vacation.
Whenever the child travels to a different place, it is important for the
parents to share information about where they will stay, how they can be
contacted and when they will return. If the vacationing parent provides a
written schedule that includes this information, the non-vacationing
parent will be assured of the ability to communicate in case of
emergency. In that same way, the non-vacationing parent should provide
contact information if he or she will not be at home during the child’s
vacation.
In determining what to do about school breaks, consider the child’s
activities and the availability of one or both parents during the break. If
the child needs day care, the parents can consider a schedule that
minimizes day care during the break. If both parents must work, the child
may enjoy a break from the regular schedule that allows him or her to
spend more time with a parent than is usual.
HOLIDAYS
The first step is to decide what holidays both parents celebrate. Keep in
mind the traditions the child experienced through his or her life and how
the holiday parenting time might affect these traditions and the child’s
security. Children thrive on healthy traditions and celebrations and
respond more enthusiastically to a schedule when both parents work on it
together and support it.
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