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Holiday visitation

girlonstage22's picture

I was just wondering what everyone's take is on holidays. My fiance has SD every other weekend and every year holidays. So this is his year to have her for Thanksgiving and Christmas. They have only been divorced two years and haven't really gone with the schedule except when it deals with him. Well I don't agree with him only getting her for 4 hours every holiday because he is her parent too. It's not fair for anyone. And BM leaves it all up to SD about spending extra time with DH and she nevers wants to leave BM so he doesnt get any extra time.

Here's the schedule:
Keep in mind there is 45+ minutes driving there/back to SD

Thanksgiving- BM family breakfast
DH gets her at 11am brings her back by 3pm
BM family dinner
Christmas Eve- BM has her
Christmas morning- BM famliy breakfast
DH gets her for 4 hours sometime that day
BM has family things all day/night.
BM's family all live on one hillside so they're...close

So DH doesn't really get but about 2 hours on the holidays due to driving time. I propose we get her Christmas Eve for our family and take her home in time for bed. Then they do "Santa" together then split Christmas day.

Is it fair to take her away from the large amount of family activities with BM? I really dont think it's healthy for SD not to be invovled with DH and family.

Please suggestions!!!??

texaswonder028's picture

In the divorce, is there not a outline of what the visitation orders? This usually helps with the schedules for holidays, birthdays, and weekly visitation.
Kim

girlonstage22's picture

Yes but BM doesn't want SD taken away from her at all. Does not understand how hard it is for DH not to be with her. She thinks the rules only apply to him

Colorado Girl's picture

so we had to be more specific in final orders. Same problem - she kept trying to split the days and freaking out over half the day and splitting them. Who wants two Thanksgiving dinners in one day? So we agreed that we got the girls all day/all night Thanksgiving every other year and Christmas Eve all day every year until 9:00pm and she gets Christmas Morning and Day. Then we plan a trip every year (even if it's just to a local hotel when $ is tight) on Christmas Day.

Only downfall is they hate leaving all their new presents and going to mom's house. But it really has worked out otherwise.

new evil stepmom's picture

change every year, the only holidays that remain the same are mothers day is always with bm and fathers day is always with bf. the rest of the holidays are on an altering schedule that was set up in court. sometimes we have issues with this because sd is 13 and wants to make her own decisions on who to spend the holiday with. the first year i was in th picture, she wanted to spend mothers day with me and did and bm still brings it up and it is a sore topic for her. even though bm went to a brewers game with her son and didn't even have a ticket for sd and did not invite sd.

chellebelle143's picture

Our state has guidelines, so that does help with the holiday issue. If bm had her way though we wouldn't get ss except for reg visitation.Christmas vacation we alternate. One year we get him when he gets out of school and take back on christmas morning, the next we pick up on christmas morning, and drop off right before school starts back.
We really like the fact that each year he gets to spend either Christmas Eve or Christmas Day with us. To me it seems like a pretty fair way to handle the holiday. Now summer vacation is a whole other ballgame, we tried to do the alternating halves once, and it was a huge mistake. We don't have to, b/c dh has the right to choose which half he wants every year, small victory for dads in this state. WE chose second half once, and ss was a complete and utter shit the whole time, I am thinking bm spent the her half practicing her alienation tactics. We got him first half this summer and all was good, so that is what we are choosing from now on.
Maybe check to see if your state has a book of guidelines, it could help you decide on how to handle these situations.

my3sons's picture

We get every other weekend (we live an hr apart) the first six weeks of summer vacation, though next hear dm and i are going to set down and look at activites and when they are so he can be involved in sports and other things and work out a different schedule. every other year we get thanksgiving and for christmas one year we get christmas eve and 2 days before and the other we get christmas eve night and 2 days after. it works out good though it gets hard when it comes to leaving the toys behind. oh and mothers day and fathers day is a given. we would love to have more time in the summer but maybe with this new thing we are going to try out we will. *fingers crossed*

girlonstage22's picture

Yeah the divorce papers clearly state the guidelines for the holidays. The holidays alternate every year. But BM just doesnt think this applies to her. She thinks she should get SD all but four hours every holiday any holiday. I think I'm going to put the foot down and say no. We will go exactly like papers say. Thanks yall for the suggestions!

girlonstage22's picture

I honestly don't know how to fight the PAS. We only have two days to change her thinking then BM has two weeks to change it right back! She's not aware at all of her actions which makes it so hard.

It is the most painful thing to think about a child missing out on such a great father. I feel blessed to have him for our own future children. I grew up with a horrible absent father and I would've killed for someone half as nice as my fiance!

Thank you for your advice. I think a am definitely going to push for going with the papers exactly. I think it will be better to start in the beginning rather than wait a few years.

Thanks again! God bless all of you!

chellebelle143's picture

Divorce Poison is a very good book,discussing PAS. Definitely need to adhere to the guidelines, now explain to dh that if you don't it will only lead to problems down the road, when other issues arise.

girlonstage22's picture

Thank you! I have been searching and wondering about books on PAS. I have yet to find one! Do you know the author's name?