Families often look forward to vacationing together. Some head to the same destination each year, but others opt to explore new places. For parents who have ended the romantic relationship with their child’s other parent, vacations can sometimes become a source of stress.
Planning the family vacation when you have to think about your co-parent can be challenging. One of the first things that must happen is a review of the parenting plan to determine what guidelines surround vacations.
Fixed versus flexible dates
Some parenting plans have the dates for each parent’s vacation time written out clearly. If this is how your parenting plan is set, you’ll need to look at the dates you’ll have the children and plan the vacation during those.
Other parenting plans have a more flexible vacation time schedule. For those that have flexibility, vacation dates may take precedence over the normal parenting time schedule.
Notification and communication
In almost all cases, you’ll need to notify your co-parent of the vacation plans. It’s a good idea to do this as soon as you have the information. Sharing the dates and destination are typically required.
You should also plan for communication during the vacation. The child will likely still want to talk to their other parent, so it’s a good idea to have a plan for making this happen. It might be easier with older children who have a phone of their own.
Because you’re co-parenting, it’s a good idea to make the vacation plans as soon as you can. This gives you a chance to make changes if there are any necessary because of conflicts. It also puts you in the position of possibly being able to claim vacation time before your ex chooses the same dates as you.