Labor Day for Children of Divorced Families
Labor Day is observed on the first Monday in September to recognize the contributions of the American workforce.
Children of divorced families need a schedule that details how they are to spend Labor Day so they can enjoy the waning days of summer break stress-free.
When making your schedule, consider things like whom the kids have spent most of the summer with and whether the kids are allowed to travel with a parent.
Scheduling options
Labor Day provides many scheduling possibilities since it typically means a three-day weekend for working parents. The following examples show how children can spend the holiday with one parent or split it between both.
Give the long weekend to one parent
Many children of divorced families live with one parent and visit the other. The long weekend could be an opportunity for the kids to spend quality time with the parent they don't see as often.
Or, you could simply allow the children to stay with the parent who already has custody at the start of the weekend.
Split the three-day weekend
You can split the weekend to give parents nearly equal time.
The first option has the kids staying with one parent from Friday afternoon until Sunday at noon and visiting with the other from Sunday at noon to Tuesday morning.
The second option is for families in which one parent can be home on Friday; it has the kids spend Friday and Saturday with that parent and Sunday and Monday with the other.
Focus on Monday
For many, Labor Day means family reunions and barbecues. If only one parent has something planned, consider allowing the children to spend the day with them.
Alternatively, the children can stay with one parent from Monday morning until the afternoon, and the other from the afternoon to evening.
Or you could alternate who gets the day each year.
Celebrate together
Parents who get along may choose to celebrate the holiday together. This is a great option for newly-divorced parents; celebrating like you did before the split can give your children a reassuring sense of consistency.
The easiest way to make a holiday visitation schedule
There's a lot to think about when you build a holiday schedule. You'll want it to address weekend and midweek holidays, reflect special 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 schedule quickly and affordably, turn to Custody X Change. You'll get written and visual versions that meet your family's needs, as well as court standards.