This is the final post in my series advising Las Vegas fathers on how they can go about effectively navigating holidays and special occasions when sharing custody of children. Throughout my series I have stressed a number of areas that Las Vegas fathers should be mindful of during special times in their children’s life. One, I have stressed the importance of planning and communication. When two parents share custody, holidays, birthdays and other special occasions may look slightly different from year to year. Children often wish to recreate the holiday they had the year before so it is important for both parents to clearly communicate with their children when it comes to managing the child’s expectations. Failure to tell children what the plans are going to be and repeating those plans several times before the holiday may lead to tantrums and upset feelings.
I have also stressed that it is important for parents to communicate with one another and other family members during special occasions. For parents, I explained in my post on reviewing the holiday calendar, why it is important to go over holiday plans in advance to ensure everyone is on the same page. Lack of communication is the number one reason why shared custody situations fail. By simply ensuring that both parents are in agreement with the holiday plans, arguments can be avoided. Finally, I discussed the importance of keeping family members from bad mouthing the child’s mother. This is to protect the child and prevent them from feeling uncomfortable in a relative’s home. Most relatives are willing to abide by the father’s boundaries when he asks that they not mention the children’s mother, for the sake of the children.
Unfortunately not all child custody disputes can be worked out through effective communication. If you are a Nevada father and have a shared child custody dispute related to a holiday or special occasion then sometimes it is necessary to go back to the Clark County FamilyCourt. Contact our Las Vegas family law attorney for a consultation and to discuss your options.