Child custody and holidays can be complicated to address

Ending a marital union can be just as emotionally challenging for the children as it is for the parents who are calling it quits. The impact can especially be felt during the holidays. Although the combination of the holidays and child custody is often a source of conflict between divorcing parents, they can take a few steps to reduce this conflict in California.

The best-case scenario following divorce is for the children to enjoy time with both parents for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Of course, this may not be practical if the parents do not live close to each other. Even if the parents can split time with the children every holiday, conflict may still occur if the parents are not on the same page about the amount of time each parent can have with the children.

For these reasons, divorcing parents may want to develop a parenting agreement that explains how they would like the holidays to go each year. The more specific they are in the agreement, the less likely they are to experience conflict long term. This also keeps the children from feeling trapped in the middle.

Producing a parenting agreement is possible if two parents who are going through divorce are willing to find common ground in the area of child custody. They can generate this type of agreement during negotiations or divorce mediation, for example. An attorney in California can guide a divorcing parent in pursing his or her desired outcome while keeping in mind what is ultimately in the children’s best interests.