Easter and Holy Week: Negotiate Time With Your Kids

Easter is the Sunday following the first full moon after March 21. Holy Week, including Holy Thursday and Good Friday, precedes Easter Sunday.

Many schools have a long weekend or the entire week off, so it's good to include Easter and Holy Week in your holiday schedule — even if you don't celebrate them. But negotiating time with your kids for Easter can be a challenge for separated, divorced and unmarried parents.

As you negotiate your parenting plan and parenting time schedule, you can get the best Easter arrangement for your children by proposing multiple options. Present them clearly, in writing and with visual calendars, to ensure successful parenting time negotiations.

Easter and Holy Week schedule options

Parents can agree to any arrangement that works for their situation. Consider these options as you prepare to negotiate.

Divide the weekend

Most Easter festivities occur between Thursday and Sunday. You can divide this time in half according to your standard division of parenting time (e.g., 60/40) or according to each family's planned celebrations.

In this division, the kids spend Holy Thursday and Good Friday with one parent, then Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday with the other.

Divide Easter Sunday only

If you don't want to change your standard weekly schedule, consider dividing Easter Sunday only. The kids spend Sunday morning with one parent and the afternoon with the other.

Schedule the holiday twice

Some parents agree to schedule two holiday celebrations with the kids. For example, the kids spend Easter weekend with one parent, and they celebrate the holiday with the other parent the following weekend.

Alternate yearly

Many parents alternate who has the kids for Easter each year. They might spend the holiday with you in odd-numbered years and with the other parent in even-numbered years.

Assign fixed holidays

You can have the kids celebrate certain holidays with the same parent every year, based on each parent's preference.

For example, if only the mother observes Easter, the dad may agree to give the holiday to her every year. In exchange, the kids might spend every Thanksgiving with Dad.

Use the court's standard schedule

When parents can't agree on their parenting time schedule, the court decides in a custody hearing or trial. Many states issue a standard visitation schedule that includes Easter week.

For more information, see our guide to visitation in your location.

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.