4th of July always makes me think of summer vacations. I’ve had some great July 4ths over the years, filled with trips to the beach, bbqs, and spending time with family and friends. I hope that you have as well. But this year? Not so much. Thanks, COVID-19. Were you planning on having a great 4th of July only to have your summer custodial vacation time ruined because of the pandemic?
It’s no secret that COVID-19 has changed every aspect of our lives, particularly our ability to travel this summer. Does your custody order include dedicated custodial vacation time with your children? Most of my custody agreements include one or two weeks of vacation for each parent. In general, this custodial vacation time allows the parent a week block of time with the children that overrides the regular physical custody schedule. What does your custody agreement say?
Are you worried that you won’t be able to exercise your custodial vacation time this year? While having your original plans cancelled is a bummer, that doesn’t mean that you can’t still take your allotted custodial vacation with your children. Want to know what you should do instead?
Here are three ways to deal with COVID-19 ruining your custodial vacation time this year:
- Use your custodial vacation time to take a staycation;
- Agree that you and your co-parent can use your custodial vacation time in the non-summer months; and
- Find a vacation destination that involves driving and allows for social distancing.
Ready to start planning?
Use your custodial vacation time to take a staycation instead.
I’m a huge fan of staycations. If I don’t have anywhere particular to travel, I have no problems taking one. Time off is always time well-spent. Staycations are also great for your budget! You also can save a lot of money vacationing at home, which may be something that you need to do if you are experiencing COVID-19 related job loss.
Generally, most custody orders don’t require you to actually go away on a trip with your child to exercise your custodial vacation time. This is because the courts don’t want to penalize parents that can’t afford to travel with their children. Just because you can’t afford a trip to Universal Studios doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t get custodial vacation time. So, as long as you aren’t working and are actually home with your kids, a staycation is a great way to use your custodial vacation time this year!
Think a staycation will be boring? Think again. It can actually be a lot of fun if you plan it right. So, what can you do if you decide to use your custodial vacation time to take a staycation? Here are some ideas:
- Go for a hike or walk at a nearby nature preserve;
- Plan day trips to the beach or local park;
- Spend the day watching a movie marathon (Star Wars perhaps?);
- Engage in crafts or other art projects like tie-dying shirts or making scrapbooks; and/or
- Anything that allows you and your children to spend quality time together doing something fun!
Agree with your co-parent that you can use your custodial vacation time in the non-summer months.
Does your custody agreement require custodial vacation time to be taken in the summer months only? Some of my custody orders have this and some don’t. I usually see this requirement because the parents (or one of the parents) is worried about the children missing school. Does your custody order define custodial vacation time as summer only?
If so, perhaps you and your co-parent can agree that you are both allowed to use vacation time during non-summer months this year so that you can take a trip with your kids when COVID-19 is no longer an issue.
If you and your parent make this modification, make sure that you put it in writing so that there is no confusion later on. There is nothing worse than planning (and paying for) custodial vacation time only to have the other parent reverse their decision at the last minute. Without it in writing, it will be hard to prove to a judge that you had such an agreement in the first place. The best way to document this agreement is either via email or in a message through a co-parenting app, such as Talking Parents.
Find a vacation destination that involves driving and allows for social distancing.
Not all trips require an airplane. Are there vacation locales nearby that you can drive to? Are you able to rent a house or a cabin? Could you go camping so that you are not interacting with large groups of people?
I encourage you to get creative and seek out alternate destinations for your custodial vacation time this year. Chances are there are a lot of places in your own backyard (no pun intended) where you can be safe but still engage in some needed rest, relaxation and reconnection with your children.
Were you planning a trip to Europe this summer or somewhere far away from home? I know that a local vacation may be kind of disappointing if you were. While it may not be the trip that you envisioned, it may still be a welcome escape from the craziness that has been 2020. You can always save that big vacation for next year.
Remember, your kids really just want to spend time with you during your custodial vacation time. And so what if they get to do that at a lake house and not at Disney World this year? Chances are you and they can still make some memories to last a lifetime.
Whatever you decide to do, make sure that you follow the requirements of your custody order regarding notice of the trip to your co-parent, providing travel documents, etc. Not sure what those requirements could be? Check out my article regarding all things summer travel with your kids.
What are my tips for dealing with COVID-19 and your custodial vacation time?
COVID-19 has brought a lot of changes to our lives, and one of the biggest is limiting our ability to travel! But that doesn’t mean that you can’t still exercise your summer custodial vacation time with your children. Here’s three ways to deal with it and still make some great summer memories with your kids:
- Use your custodial vacation time to take a staycation;
- Agree that you and your co-parent can use your custodial vacation time in the non-summer months; and
- Find a vacation destination that is close by and allows for social distancing.
Fun is out there, I promise. You just have to look for it. As always, please continue to stay safe, stay sane, and most importantly, keep washing your hands!!!
What’s next on the Divorce Lawyer Life?
It’s no secret that divorces are one of the hardest things a person will ever experience. But there are things that you can do to make the process less painful and expensive. Want to know what they are? Tune in next week to get my 5 steps to a great divorce. I promise you will not want to miss this one!
Want to make sure that you don’t miss any of my tips and tricks for navigating the divorce process post-Coronavirus and beyond? Make sure that you sign up for my weekly newsletter where I recap the week’s articles and provide some additional promos and content just for my subscribers. You’ll get a FREE post-divorce checklist just for signing up!
Or, have you just separated from your spouse and don’t know what to do first? Or after that? It can be difficult to determine where to start first. Don’t worry, I got you! Get my FREE checklist for what to do when you are newly separated. You don’t want to miss it!