Parenting across separate households can be a difficult challenge.
It is always better for parents to come to an arrangement that is child-focused. Here are some tips to ensure this Christmas is memorable for your children for all the right reasons:
1) Have a plan
Whether these are agreed in writing between you and your ex, or implemented by a Court, it is always best to have a plan down in writing that both of you can refer to should issues arise. Although a written agreement (such as a parenting plan) will not have the same force that Court order has, it will at least provide not only clarity for you, but also for your children to know who they are spending time with and when.
2) Presents
It is preferred is parents can implement a collaborative approach to gift giving, especially as it is likely that if your child has told you what they want for Christmas they have told the other parent as well! Christmas gift giving is not a time to try to outshine the other parent by buying extravagant gifts. It is better to define a budget with your former spouse to avoid creating this tension.
In some cases, parents assist their children in selecting and buying gifts for the other parent. Such a small act of goodwill is SO important for your children to see!!
3) Encourage communication
Although this should be encouraged at all times, if your children are anxious at any time before entering or after leaving the care of the other parent, ensure they are able to either call or Facetime the other parent- Christmas is the time for family after all.
If it is the case that you and your former partner cannot come to an agreement in relation to Christmas, then it may be necessary to consider filing for orders to be made by the Court (if mediation won’t work) . A Court will not look kindly on parents who file a few weeks before Christmas. To combat this, the Court has implemented a cutoff date off for filing of any such application: 4:00pm on the second Friday of November. This year, this falls on 11 November 2022.
It is crucially important that these arrangements are set in stone as early as possible, particularly because lawyers (and the Court) will most likely be closed over that Christmas period and unable to provide assistance.
Tiyce & Lawyers – we’re here when you need us
