Last updated on April 8, 2021
Halloween is truly a holiday for the kids. Between the dressing up in costumes and going door-to-door for candy, for many children it is the highlight of their fall. In order for kids to enjoy the holiday though, divorced parents need to be on the same page when it comes to celebrating.
Parents in Georgia may have a parenting plan that clearly lays out how Halloween is to be spent. However, some may not have addressed Halloween in these plans and are now scrambling, trying to figure out how to best spend the holiday. Recently, an article titled “Halloween Trick or Treat Tips for Parents With Kids of Divorce” was posted online. The author addresses how to work with ex-spouses to make the holiday all about the kids and not about the issues two parents may have with each other.
The first thing to keep in mind when deciding how to spend Halloween is to remember to keep the kids out of the decision making process. This means parents should not ask their kids whom they want to spend the holiday with. This puts kids in a tough situation of feeling as if they need to pick sides. Children should never feel the pressure of having to choose between their parents.
In coming to a decision, the article suggestions thinking about whether everyone can go trick-or-treating together as a blended family or if there needs to be some separation. If mom and dad — and possibly their significant others — cannot go together, it may make the most sense to split the evening. For the kids, this would mean getting to trick-or-treat in two different neighborhoods.
In cases though where it is not possible to split the night and parents cannot all go together, the author suggests thinking about how to extend Halloween into two separate occasions. An example of this would be pumpkin carving and costume shopping with one parent and trick-or-treating with the other.
In the end, just keep in mind that Halloween is for the children. If parenting plans around the holidays seem unfair to one or both parents, it may also be time to update existing parenting plans. This can be done with the help of a family law attorney.
