Vacations are a relaxing time when children can build fond memories with parents, away from the confines of normal life. As you create a parenting plan for school age children, working out vacations can be complicated due to everyone’s hectic schedules.
The frequency and duration of vacations with school age children depends on their age and temperament. Younger school age children may be able to handle one to two uninterrupted weeks of vacation time while a parenting plan for teenagers might specify as many as four weeks. These weeks do not necessarily need to be consecutive.
Here are 10 things to keep in mind when planning vacation time for school age children:
- Agree that vacation schedules take precedence over regularly scheduled parenting time
- Schedule vacations as early as possible to avoid conflict
- Don’t plan vacations that cause children to miss school unless both parents agree
- Avoid planning vacations that fall during the other parent’s holiday time
- Get permission from the other parent if vacation plans include another state or country
- Specify exactly when the vacation time begins and ends
- Encourage vacations to visit extended family members, such as cousins or grandparents
- Provide contact information for the other parent for the entire vacation time
- Allow children to regularly contact the absent parent during the extended separation
- Give children a day or two of downtime after the vacation and before school, when possible
As you are working out vacation time in your parenting plan, always keep in mind the children’s age, maturity, ability to handle separations, geographic location of the vacation, relationship with the vacationing parent and duration of the vacation.
You know your school age children best, so put their needs first to ensure a positive vacation experience.