Surrey Homes | SH50 | December 2018 | Health & Beauty supplement inside
The lifestyle magazine for Surrey - Inspirational Interiors, Fabulous Fashion, Delicious Dishes
The lifestyle magazine for Surrey - Inspirational Interiors, Fabulous Fashion, Delicious Dishes
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Avoiding the<br />
‘Nightmare<br />
before<br />
Christmas’!<br />
How separated parents can arrange child care over the festive period<br />
With Christmas just around the corner it’s generally<br />
a time for families to be brought together, have fun<br />
and of course gather to watch their favourite<br />
Christmas films! Yet for some families that are<br />
separated, it can be a very stressful and emotional<br />
time with lots of upset on having to decide where<br />
their child will spend Christmas Day.<br />
We are contacted every year in the lead up<br />
to Christmas to help separated parents find a<br />
solution. Here’s a few tips to ensure that you can<br />
enjoy the festive holidays and hopefully avoid<br />
that nightmare before Christmas!<br />
Plan and Communicate<br />
Make sure that you have both planned your<br />
Christmas arrangements in advance and stick to<br />
them. This will help reduce the stress and also allow<br />
your child to know how they will be spending their<br />
Christmas. If you have difficulties in communicating<br />
directly with one another consider writing your<br />
proposals by letter, using a third party, a family<br />
mediator or a through a solicitor if necessary.<br />
Compromise<br />
Ultimately the court will always look at what is in<br />
the best interests of the child. Christmas is meant to<br />
be a fun and magical time for any child and therefore<br />
it is essential that separated parents understand the<br />
importance of compromising with one another over<br />
the festive period.<br />
Share Christmas Day<br />
When two separated parents live nearby it is<br />
often favourable for the child to share their time<br />
between their parents at Christmas. Alternatively,<br />
for parents who do not live close then it is unlikely<br />
to be in the child’s best interest to spend their<br />
Christmas travelling between parents and<br />
therefore in these instances you can consider<br />
alternating Christmas Day every other year.<br />
It is also possible to arrange two Christmas Days,<br />
one on Christmas Day with one parent and another<br />
on Boxing Day with their other parent. This will<br />
allow the child to celebrate Christmas with both<br />
parents and focus on the positives of having two<br />
Christmas Days!<br />
The 12 Days of Christmas<br />
Whilst it is often Christmas Day which is the<br />
focus of parent’s child care arrangements, it should<br />
also be taken into account that there are usually<br />
two weeks school holidays which is time that<br />
can be spent between both parents to enjoy the<br />
festive holidays.<br />
If you are still finding it difficult to reach an<br />
agreement for your child’s Christmas<br />
arrangements, we would recommend that<br />
you seek advice as soon as possible.<br />
Call us on<br />
0203 319 2685<br />
slatergordon.co.uk<br />
Authorised and Regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
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