Halloween is often eagerly anticipated by kids of all ages. Yet, for divorced or separated parents, it can inspire a unique set of challenges. How can you ensure that the spirit of Halloween remains untainted for your child, despite the shift in your family dynamics?
One practical approach is alternating Halloweens. One year your child could spend the holiday with you and the next with their other parent. This arrangement helps to ensure that both parents get quality Halloween time with your little without any overlap or rush. But, if you’d prefer to find a way to work together to create Halloween memories, there are a few things you can do to better ensure that you’re able to achieve this goal.
Planning ahead
Last-minute decisions can lead to confusion and disappointment. Start a conversation with your co-parent well before Halloween arrives, if you can, next year, discuss activities for the day and make decisions related to any logistical details that have the potential to trip everyone up later if they aren’t addressed in advance. Making this effort can help to ensure that you are both on the same page and that your child knows what to expect.
With that said, you may also want to keep in mind that there’s no rule that Halloween can’t be celebrated twice. If you and your co-parent can’t effectively decide how to move forward together, consider having one parent celebrate on the weekend before Halloween and the other on the actual day. This way, your child will get double the candy, double the fun and quality time with both of you. Every family’s situation is unique. Therefore, every family has the right to find empowering solutions to holiday-related challenges that meet their unique needs.
