Author: Carol Pages, Pages Family Law.
If you’ve been to a shopping centre lately, you’ve probably noticed the Christmas decorations and festive food starting to appear. With less than three months until Christmas, October is the perfect time to plan your holiday parenting arrangements and avoid last-minute stress.
Whether it’s your first Christmas after separation or you’re revisiting an existing plan, having clear arrangements helps everyone – especially your children – enjoy a relaxed and happy holiday season.
Where to Start
It can help to think about the school holidays in two parts:
- Christmas period
- The rest of the summer holidays
By breaking it down this way, it’s easier to focus on what works best for your family during each stage.
Planning for Christmas
Think about how Christmas usually works for you and your children.
Do you have traditional family gatherings or specific times when each side of the family celebrates?
Key things to consider include:
- ● Location – Are both parents nearby, or is travel involved?
- ● Family traditions – When and how does each side of the family celebrate?
- ● Children’s ages – Younger children often benefit from shorter periods away from each parent.
If you and your former partner live close by, it can work well for one parent to have the children on Christmas Eve, and the other on Christmas Day evening.
That way, both parents get to share in the excitement of Christmas morning and see what Santa brought.
If both parents want Christmas morning, consider alternating each year – for example, one parent has Christmas morning in odd years (2025, 2027, etc.) and the other in even years. Having a set pattern makes planning ahead much easier.
Tip: Avoid Christmas Day changeovers around 2:00–3:00pm, as this is often lunchtime for most families (and traffic can be heavy). Earlier (around 11:00am) or later (around 5:00pm) usually works better.
Fun fact: Children of separated families are often extra lucky—they get to enjoy two visits from Santa! 🎅
When Parents Live Far Apart
If one or both parents live interstate or overseas, or travel between homes is difficult, alternating Christmas each year may be the simplest solution.
This allows each parent to celebrate fully and gives children the chance to make lasting memories with both families – just not always on the same day.
Many parents find that their children love having “two Christmases”, even if one is celebrated a few days earlier or later.
School Holiday Arrangements
Many workplaces close for two weeks over the Christmas and New Year period, making it an ideal time to finalise holiday plans.
If both parents are working, you might:
- ● Split the school holidays in half, or
- ● Alternate the main holiday period each year, or
- ● Work around travel plans, e.g. if one parent takes the children on a trip this year, the other can plan a special holiday next year.
Being flexible and planning early means fewer surprises – and happier holidays for everyone.
Need Help With Your Parenting Plan?
For more practical guidance, read our related article:
👉 Separated? Tips for making your parenting arrangements for Christmas
If you’d like advice on how to negotiate or formalise your parenting arrangements, our team at Pages Family Law can help you create an agreement that works for everyone.
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The content of this article is provided for information purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. We recommend that you seek legal advice relevant to your own circumstances and we would be happy to assist you.
Carol Pages is the Principal of Pages Family Law and an Accredited Specialist in Family Law and a Nationally Accredited Mediator. If you would like advice about your own separation, please contact Pages Family Law at info@pagesfamilylaw.com.au or on 03 9121 8077 or book a 15 minute free discovery call via our website.
