How should I handle the holiday visitation???

summerbaby08

I need some advice....  

I have just started the divorce process and haven't gone through planning an visitation with holidays yet.  I am having a tough time figuring out the the best thing to do with my STBX.

Right now he will have the kids for 5 days on Thanksgiving.  Ugh....I hate that I will miss out on this but both our families live out of state and he will be traveling to visit with them during this time.

Christmas is supposed to be my holiday but STBX wants to spend X-mas eve with them too.  My family will be visiting for the holiday and I don't really want to have to share the holiday with him but don't want to punish my kids either.

How do you all handle the holidays?

Thanks in advance. 

 

blissfullyignorant

I had the same internal debate. X and I finally settled on having DS spend time with only one parent for the majority of the holiday. For Thanksgiving I had DS the day before, day of, and day after. For Christmas he's with X the day before, day of, and day after. That's how we did it for most holidays. Every year it switches (next year I'll get Christmas). Our families live out of state so we need a chunk of time to go visit.

PrettyInPearls23

When we were separated, we alternated the holiday's, with no overnights. Last year he had DS on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and New Years Eve (althought he didn't take him that evening). I had him Christmas day and New Years Day (which was also his 1st birthday party). XH came over on Christmas morning to open Santa gifts with DS.

We're now divorced and this will be our 2nd holiday season on a visitation schedule. We're doing the same thing of alternating holidays, so this year I'll have DS on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and New Years Eve. However, our schedule is written so that the "Eve" holidays are from 10am-10am the next day. This way, each parent will have DS for a few hours on Christmas morning the year they don't have him Christmas Day. Does that make sense? Christmas Day and New Years Day are overnight holiday's as well, from 10am-10am the next day.