Holiday Custody Schedule in Connecticut: How to Divide Holidays and Vacations
Holiday Custody Schedule in Connecticut: How to Divide Holidays and Vacations
The regular weekly parenting schedule handles most of the year. But holidays, school breaks, and summer vacations create concentrated conflict — and Connecticut judges expect your parenting plan to address every one of them with specific, enforceable language.
A plan that says "parents will share holidays equally" is vague and unenforceable. Here's how to structure a holiday schedule that works and that a court will approve.
The Override Rule
The first and most important principle: your holiday schedule must explicitly state that it overrides the regular weekly schedule. Without this language, a parent can argue that the weekly schedule controls even during Thanksgiving week, creating a logistical and legal mess.
Standard language: "The holiday and vacation schedule set forth below shall take priority over the regular weekly residential schedule. The regular schedule resumes at the conclusion of each holiday or vacation period."
Alternating Major Holidays
The most common approach divides major holidays into two groups that alternate annually:
Group A (even years with Parent A, odd years with Parent B):
- Thanksgiving (Wednesday after school through Sunday at 6:00 p.m.)
- Easter/spring break
- Fourth of July
- Labor Day weekend
Group B (even years with Parent B, odd years with Parent A):
- Christmas Eve through Christmas Day (or the first half of winter break)
- New Year's Eve through New Year's Day (or the second half of winter break)
- Memorial Day weekend
- Halloween (after school through 8:00 p.m.)
The specific holidays you include depend on your family's traditions and religious observances. Connecticut courts do not prescribe a standard list — your plan should reflect what matters to your family.
Splitting vs. Alternating Christmas
Two common approaches for the winter break:
The split approach: One parent has Christmas Eve through Christmas morning; the other has Christmas afternoon through December 26. Parents alternate which half they receive each year. This ensures both parents see the child every Christmas but creates a midday transition on December 25.
The block approach: One parent has the entire first half of winter break (through December 25); the other has the second half (December 26 through the end of break). Parents alternate which block they receive each year. This creates fewer transitions but means each parent misses Christmas morning every other year.
Neither is inherently better. Choose the approach that matches your family's priorities and geographic situation. If parents live far apart, the block approach avoids a long drive on Christmas Day.
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School Breaks
Address each school break separately:
- February/mid-winter break: Specify whether it follows the regular schedule or alternates like a holiday
- Spring break: Common to alternate annually, with the parent who has the child getting the full week
- Professional development days and teacher conference days: Decide whether these follow the regular schedule or are treated as mini-breaks
Summer Vacation
Summer is the highest-conflict planning area. Your plan should include:
A deadline for submitting vacation weeks. May 1 is the most common. Each parent submits their requested vacation weeks in writing by this date. If dates conflict, specify the resolution method (e.g., the requesting parent's choice in even years, the other parent's choice in odd years).
Maximum consecutive vacation time. Many plans cap each parent's consecutive vacation time at two or three weeks. This prevents one parent from taking the child for the entire summer.
The right of first refusal during vacation. If the vacationing parent will be away from the child for a specified period (often 24 or 48 hours) during their vacation time, the other parent gets priority over a babysitter or relative.
Travel notification requirements. Specify how much advance notice is required for out-of-state travel (14 days is common), what information must be provided (destination, accommodations, contact numbers), and whether international travel requires written consent or a court order.
Making It Enforceable
Every holiday and vacation provision should include:
- The exact start and end times (not "Christmas" but "December 24 at 5:00 p.m. through December 26 at 10:00 a.m.")
- The transition location
- Which parent provides transportation
- What happens if a parent is traveling and the child is ill
The Connecticut Child Custody & Parenting Plan Guide includes pre-written holiday rotation clauses, a summer vacation planning worksheet, and a travel notification template — all designed to drop directly into your JD-FM-199 or JD-FM-183 filing.
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