On behalf of Winner Law Group, LLC posted in Child Custody on Wednesday, October 29, 2014.
Halloween, like other holidays, can be difficult when parents in Kentucky divorce. Usually both parents want to be involved in their children's lives, and at Halloween that means costume parties, pumpkin carving and trick-or-treating. Yet, are there ways that both of a child's parents can enjoy these traditions despite a divorce?
There are some ways that both parents can participate in this holiday for their little ghouls. First and foremost, keep in mind that this holiday is for the children. The focus should be on them, rather than on any strife each spouse may still harbor towards each other.
One way to make things run smoothly is to plan ahead. Many child custody plans designate one parent to have the child on certain holidays and the other parent to have the child on other holidays. Taking a look at the parenting plan to see which parent has custody during Halloween can take out a lot of the guesswork and settle any disagreements beforehand.
Some parents may get along well enough to share in the celebrations. Some parents may choose to trick-or-treat together with their child. This shows the child that even though their parents are divorced, both parents still love them very much. If trick-or-treating together is not feasible, see if it is possible for the child to trick-or-treat twice, once in each spouse's neighborhood.
In addition, parents might want to split events. Maybe one parent has the pumpkin carving at their house on October 30, and the other parent has trick-or-treating at their house on October 31.
In some cases, it may not be fair to ask the child to choose with whom they want to spend the holiday. Children should not have to feel like they must chose one parent over the other. Instead, parents should work out a plan ahead of time that meets the best interests of the child. Such plans will depend on the parent's custody arrangements, their post-divorce relationship and other factors. It can be possible to enjoy the spooky holiday, even after a divorce.
Source: The Huffington Post, "Halloween Trick or Treat Tips for Parents With Kids of Divorce," Diane L. Danois, Oct. 22, 2014