Celebrating Halloween in the Aftermath of a Divorce or Breakup

If you have young children, they probably look forward to dressing up, trick-or-treating, and carving pumpkins every year. For parents, this can be a fun bonding experience to share with their kids, so it is understandable that both parents would want to partake in these activities. However, if you and your co-parent are not on the best of terms or simply are unsure of how to go about this day, you might be at a loss.

We have compiled some tips to help you navigate this situation to make Halloween an enjoyable experience for everyone:

Trick-or-treat together: If you are on relatively amicable terms and can get through an evening without arguing, consider taking the kids out to trick-or-treat together. This gives you both the opportunity to share the special holiday and watch your children’s excitement as they load up their bag with candy. It is also nice to have another set of eyes watching over your children as Halloween in some neighborhoods can be very busy and dark.

Split the day: Not every parent is wild about trick-or-treating. If you would prefer to carve pumpkins with your children or watch Halloween movies, you might want to consider splitting the day with your co-parent. One parent can have them during the day and the other can spend the evening trick-or-treating with them.

Start new Halloween traditions: Another option for parents who are not partial to trick-or-treating is to simply start new Halloween traditions. If you do not plan on taking your kids trick-or-treating, then it would not matter if you spent Halloween with them. You could celebrate with them the day before or after. You could help them make their costumes or watch spooky movies. The possibilities are endless.

Alternate with your co-parent: If you both want to spend Halloween with your children and cannot find any other way around it, consider alternating between years. You could celebrate with them on odd years and your co-parent can celebrate with them on even years.

Keep in mind that ultimately, your decisions should strive to satisfy the best interests of your children. As much as you would both love to spend this day with them, it should not be at their expense, nor should it result in greater stress and anxiety. Consider their wants and needs as you ponder over options to make Halloween as special and fun for them as possible.

Family law litigation can be emotionally difficult and complex. Decisions made about each step of the litigation can affect you for many years. At Bains Law Firm, we have decades of experience helping our clients through the difficulty of family law matters of all types and can help you through the process. Contact us today at (253) 838–3377 or email at office@bainslawfirm.com, to talk about your case.

Disclaimer: All materials provided on this website have been prepared by Bains Law Firm for general information purposes only and no representation is made as to their completeness or accuracy. Information on this website is not intended as legal advice, and may not be relied upon as such. Only an attorney who can review the unique facts of each case and apply them to the statutes, case law and court rules can provide legal advice. Nothing in this website shall be construed to create an attorney-client relationship.