5 Things To Know About Your Parenting Plan Before the Holidays - Parenting Guidance for Holiday Child Custody

Sep 15, 2026

Uploaded by Elsa

Holiday parenting requires clarity, especially for families living in separate homes. This guide explains how to review and follow an existing court-ordered parenting plan, including Georgia requirements covering time, locations, and special occasions. It outlines what to do when holiday dates overlap normal schedules, how to respond to altered weekend patterns, and how children’s choices are limited for visitation. Communication, flexibility, and supporting both parents help reduce conflict.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLetters

FormatPDF

Pages6

Reading Time2 min

AccessFree to download

CHILD CUSTODY

Review Your Parenting Plan

What if the parenting plan schedule is different than the usual schedule?

My child is 14 (or older). Can he or she decide how to spend the holidays?

Communication is key

Remember your children love both parents

5 Things To Know About Your Parenting Plan Before the Holidays CHILD CUSTODY The holidays can be a stressful time under the best of circumstances. If you are a parent who no longer lives with the other parent, this time of year can become even more taxing, especially if this is your first holiday where the family will not be in the same home on Christmas morning or light the Hanukkah candles together. Whether you have an existing parenting plan order or need to create one, you and your children can enjoy the holidays by making sure you and the other parent are on the same page about what is best for your children. IN THIS EBOOK, WE’LL COVER THE FOLLOWING: 1. REVIEW YOUR PARENTING PLAN 2. WHAT IF THE PARENTING PLAN SCHEDULE IS DIFFERENT THAN THE USUAL SCHEDULE? 3. MY CHILD IS 14 (OR OLDER) . CAN HE OR SHE DECIDE HOW TO SPEND THE HOLIDAYS? 4. COMMUNICATION IS KEY 5. REMEMBER YOUR CHILDREN LOVE BOTH PARENTS NUMBER 1 Review Your Parenting Plan Planning ahead can help you and your family have a happy holiday season. Thus, the first thing to do is review your parenting plan. If you were divorced in Georgia or entered into a custody agreement concerning your children in Georgia, the custody agreement should already specify how the children will spend time with their parents during the holidays. Georgia law requires that the parenting plan include where and when a child will be in each parent’s physical care, designate where the child will spend each day of the year, and set forth how holidays, birthdays, vacations, school breaks, and other special occasions will be spent with each parent including the time of day that each event will begin and end. That is why the place to start is the parenting plan. That parenting plan was created with your children’s best interest as its primary goal. While tweaks may be necessary as your children become older, hopefully both parents are able to remember that the parenting plan is for the children’s benefit, not the parents’. It will help you and the children to pull out your calendar and mark where the children will be when during the holidays. Unless you and the other parent agree to change the parenting plan, it is a court order that must be followed. If you unilaterally ignore the parenting plan, the other parent can ask the court to hold you in contempt. That is an expensive predicament to be in, and it will certainly ruin the holiday season. If you do not have a parenting plan either because you are still in the middle of a litigated or collaborative process, start now to try to reach a temporary agreement on how the children will spend Thanksgiving and Winter Break. The courts tend to be busy this time of year and are likely going to be even busier than usual due to the tax benefits of alimony ending on December 31st. Accordingly, it may be difficult to obtain a hearing date if you and the other parent are unable to agree on a temporary custody agreement. If necessary, schedule a mediation session just to resolve the holiday parenting time issue. Your children need the certainty of a schedule, so remain open minded and flexible. Most children are thrilled to be able to celebrate the holidays more than once and can become excited about starting a new tradition. NUMBER 2 What if the parenting plan schedule is different than the usual schedule? Christmas falls on a Tuesday this year, the first night of Hanukkah is Sunday, December 2nd, and Kwanzaa begins on Wednesday, December 26th. What if any one of those days falls on your normal parenting time but your parenting plan requires that the children be with the other parent? Again, you must follow the parenting plan as it is a court order, unless you and the other parent agree otherwise. Keep in mind that most parenting plans alternate the holidays each year, so in all likelihood, the children will be with you on those holidays next year. What if you typically alternate weekend parenting time with the childr

FAQs

Why should parents review their parenting plan before the holidays?

Reviewing the parenting plan helps confirm where and when children will be with each parent during holidays and special occasions. It also prevents conflict by ensuring both parents follow the schedule that was built for the child’s best interests.

What if holiday dates fall on your normal parenting time but the plan requires the children be with the other parent?

The parenting plan must be followed because it is a court order unless both parents agree otherwise. The document notes that many plans alternate holidays, so the situation often reverses the following year.

Can a child aged 14 or older decide how to spend the holidays with one parent?

Georgia law allows a child 14 or older to choose which parent to live with, but that right does not extend to visitation. The child cannot unilaterally refuse time set by the parenting plan unless the parents agree or a court modifies the plan due to substantial changed circumstances.

Sep 15, 2026

Uploaded by Elsa