Holiday custody schedule - need to vent

Jan 19·1 min read

Our custody agreement says we "alternate major holidays" but doesn't specify what counts as major. Christmas was mine, she wants Thanksgiving. Fair enough. But then she's also claiming New Year's Eve/Day as separate holidays that should be hers too?? And wanting to do Christmas morning with the kids even though I have full Christmas. This is the fourth year of this and I'm SO tired of renegotiating. Do I just need a lawyer to nail down every single date in advance or am I being unreasonable?

5 comments351 views

Comments(5)

JJordan M.New DadJan 19

Honestly probably worth getting a mediator involved at this point if you're going back and forth about interpretation. Cheaper than lawyers and way less stressful than arguing about it year after year.

GGarrettRegularJan 19

What does your custody agreement say about modifying the schedule? Like if you both agreed to swap a holiday, could you do that without going back to court?

KKarl J.RegularJan 20

My ex and I just decided together that major means Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the kids' birthdays. Took like one conversation to settle it. Might be worth trying to just have a calm discussion about what seems fair to both of you.

EEricRegularJan 20

The worst part is when your kid wants to do something different than what's scheduled and you're stuck in the middle. I feel your frustration here.

LLucas H.New DadJan 21

This is so frustrating. We had the same issue and ended up fighting about it every single year. Does your agreement have any language about who gets to decide if something isn't specifically listed?