Serving With Skill And Compassion

Sharing custody on Halloween doesn’t have to be scary

On Behalf of | Sep 28, 2018 | Legal Decision Making And Parenting Time |

With just a month before Halloween, kids across Arizona are already planning costumes and starting to map out the best trick-or-treating routes. If you share custody of your kids, then you will want to do some preparation yourself.

For instance, you will want to be sure you and the other parent are clear on the custody arrangement for Halloween, as well as any other obligations or opportunities that might arise. Start by reviewing your parenting agreement, and then discuss with each other and your child what they want the holiday to look like. 

Deciding how to spend Halloween

If you are like many parents, you might just follow your standard schedule of custody without any alterations or adjustments. 

However, if you want to spend the holiday or attend events together, you might agree to both go trick or treating with your child or go to the same party with your child. This can certainly be a challenge, but if you are amicable, it may be possible to spend some time together — or at least in the same room. 

You can also divide up activities if you are both interested in celebrating with your child separately. As this Huffington Post article suggests, you might agree that one parent will spend Halloween night with a child while the other spends the night before Halloween with the child carving pumpkins or making a costume together, for instance.

Avoiding conflict

While Halloween may not seem as important as birthdays or Christmas, it is a special day, especially for young children. As such, parents should try to avoid as much conflict and confusion as possible on that day so that it is more enjoyable for everyone. 

Be sure you talk about schedules and notify one another immediately if something comes up that affects custody or exchanges. Also, be clear about who will pay for a child’s costume and other special expenses. It can also be nice to share pictures with each other so both parents feel involved.

Above all, try and focus on your child’s experience and what you can do to make this holiday more fun than scary.