Child Custody on the May Bank Holiday | Scheduling Ideas
The first Monday in May is celebrated as May Bank Holiday in Ireland. Schools and many businesses close as a result.
The holiday is also known as May Day, which was a celebration of fertility and summer for the ancient Romans.
Plan ahead if you're a divorced or separated parent so you'll know who will take care of your children on this day.
Whatever you decide with the other parent, put it in your custody and access schedule. You might even apply for a rule of court so the schedule can be enforced.
Scheduling options
Here are a few common approaches to child custody and access on the May Bank Holiday.
Divide the day
One obvious solution is to each take the kids for (roughly) half the day. This may be appealing if you have a 50/50 parenting schedule and want to maintain that balance during holidays.
Here, Dad has the kids until 2 p.m., and Mum has them until 8 p.m.
Switch who gets custody or access each year
This is the most common approach to annual occasions. Let one parent have custody or access all day (or all weekend) in odd years and the other in even years.
Give the holiday to the same parent every year
You could instead permanently designate the May Bank Holiday to one parent. This is perfect if only one parent gets the day off. The visit could potentially start before Monday (e.g., Friday afternoon or Saturday morning) or extend into Tuesday.
If you take this approach, you might handle similar holidays the same way. For example, Mum might get the May Bank Holiday and August Bank Holiday, whilst Dad gets the June Bank Holiday and October Bank Holiday.
Come up with your own approach
The right schedule is the one that works for the children and both parents. Feel free to get creative. Just make sure whatever you agree on is written down clearly; then have both parents sign so there will be no debate later.
The easiest way to make a custody schedule for special occasions
There's a lot to think about when you build a holiday schedule. You'll want it to address weekend and midweek holidays, reflect occasions unique to your family (like birthdays) and work for years to come.
The Custody X Change app makes it easy. Just open your Custody X Change calendar and follow our steps to make a holiday schedule.
To make a custody and access schedule quickly and affordably, turn to Custody X Change. In no time, you'll have written and visual versions that include the holidays and occasions you care about.