Celebrating Halloween as a Divorced Parent

 Posted on October 02, 2018 in Divorce

The leaves are starting to change colors, and now that it is October, your child is likely to be gearing up to go trick or treating this year. If you have recently gotten a divorce or are in the midst of the divorce process, holidays will be handled differently than when you were married. However, planning for successful co-parenting will ensure that your child has as good a time as they did in previous years. 

Trick or Treat?

While your child may choose to dress as Batman or their favorite Disney princess, you and your ex-partner should be completely transparent about planning family holidays. Communicating details and keeping your child out of any crossfire will allow him or her to focus on getting candy and not on dealing with mom and dad’s separation.  

If your parenting plan does not account for Halloween, it is important to communicate with your ex before the big night and make sure your plans are clear. Scrambling to make plans the night before Halloween will put unnecessary stress on everyone. 

Conflicting plans may not be a problem if one parent is not available or interested in celebrating Halloween, but the holiday could be an opportunity to build a positive relationship with your ex. Going trick or treating together with your child will strengthen your bond and assure them that mom or dad are not going anywhere. 

If spending the holiday together is not a viable option, there are other ways to celebrate Halloween as divorced parents. If you both want to be involved while celebrating individually, it might be a good idea to split the night. The first half of Halloween can be spent in your neighborhood, and then the second half can be spent in your ex-spouse's neighborhood. If this keeps things civil, no child will complain about two neighborhoods’ worth of candy. 

Another option is celebrating Halloween, and other seasonal activities, on separate days that correspond with your established parenting plan. Trick or treating is usually only practiced on one night, but parenting time on other days during the month can be spent carving pumpkins, finishing Halloween costumes, or making fall treats. 

Once things are settled, if other children are involved, it may be nice to include stepchildren in the Halloween mix. However you choose to celebrate, you should be sure you are considering the best interests of your child. 

Contact a Barrington Divorce Lawyer

Allocation of parental responsibility and parenting time does not need to be scary during family holidays. An experienced Arlington Heights divorce attorney can help you create a parenting plan that addresses how you will spend time with your child during their favorite holidays. Call our office at 630-426-0196 to schedule an initial consultation.

Sources:

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/halloween-trick-or-treat_b_6028064