Halloween 2017, Texas divorce

Tips for Fall Holidays

UPDATED!

Fall Holidays and Standard Possession – Make this your best year!

HALLOWEEN 2017!

October 31, 2017 is a Tuesday night! School night trick-or-treating is always a tough call.  Take a look at your possession schedule now to make sure you’ve got a good plan for your kiddos!

 

HALLOWEEN AND STANDARD POSSESSION

Update 2016: This year Halloween is on a weekday, so you may want to start thinking about how trick or treating will happen this year.  What are the plans for kids in your area?  Are there ‘trunk or treat’ events or other fun events instead of trick or treating this year?

 

Halloween is the kick off to the fall holidays and the season. It doesn’t have specific mention in the Texas Family Code- Standard Possession, like Thanksgiving and Christmas but it is one of those days that kids always look forward to each year.

This year Halloween falls on the 5th weekend of the month. The Family Code considered and included the 5th weekends in Standard Possession.  The parent with the 1st and 3rd weekends also gets the 5th weekend.  There are 4 months in a year that have a 5th weekend and this time it includes Halloween.  Despite being one parent’s weekend both parents should really work to make Halloween about the kids. As parents, try to put aside the temptation to think about where and how you want Halloween and trick or treating to happen and listen to your kids.  Don’t argue about who is going to buy the Halloween costume  and what it is going to be.  Try to ask your kids’ opinions – maybe this year isn’t a Star Wars year like it has been before, and now your daughter wants to be a Marvel character!  Enjoy the fun – which has everything to do with your kids!

THANKSGIVING AND STANDARD POSSESSION

Thanksgiving is one of the holidays that is contained in Standard Possession.  An easy way to remember it is that the parent who had the children for Christmas last year, gets Thanksgiving this year.  The holidays alternate and can be a great time for your kids.  Thanksgiving is often overlooked because there aren’t any gifts and kids don’t look forward to it like Christmas.  But, remember that the parent with Thanksgiving has the children from their pick up time (either 6:00 p.m. or after school gets out) until 6:00 p.m. the night before school resumes for the holiday.  Enjoy the season!  Do a Turkey Trot, go to a museum or something else you can’t do during the school week or summertime.

SCHOOL HOLIDAYS AND STANDARD POSSESSION

Lastly, sometimes there are Monday and Friday holidays that happen during the school year.  Standard Possession includes what happens there also.  Depending on what is contained in your decree and what choices were made the child will stay with the parent based on which day the holiday falls on.

Overall, read through your decree.  Ask your family lawyer questions, if you don’t know what applies to your time with your kids. If you don’t have a lawyer, as always, consult an experienced family law attorney.

Enjoy the season – Happy Parenting!

Jill O’Connell, O’Connell Law Firm, PC – 940-497-5454