Holidays are hectic enough. But having to coordinate an entirely new schedule for your children can make them even more stressful. Having an established and written Michigan holiday parenting time schedule with the who, what, where, when, and how spelled out in advance can make your life easier. That way, there’s no question about how your children will be spending their holidays. Simplifying the holiday schedule starts with a well-drafted parenting plan.
Parents aren’t on their own when creating a holiday parenting time schedule in Michigan for their children. The Michigan Parenting Time Guidelines provide a template for a starting point. It’s designed to help parents consider the many variables that can arise when co-parenting. Specifically, under MCL 722.27a, parenting time is granted in accordance with the child’s best interests.
Michigan courts acknowledge that parents know their family and children best. Judges will review and accept a parent-submitted parenting plan as long as it is in the child’s best interests and turn it into an enforceable court order. However, if clear and convincing evidence indicates that it’s not in the child’s best interests, the court will not order the plan.
The Michigan Parenting Time Guideline also specifically addresses holidays by stating that parents can alternate, share, or split the time. While the guidelines provide a sample schedule, there is no state-wide legal requirement that parents follow it.
The court prioritizes the best interests of the child when it comes to holiday parenting time schedules in Michigan. A part of that is ensuring the child gets to spend quality time with both parents during the major holidays. This means that both parents should expect to share holiday time.
Start by deciding which holidays are the most important to your family and why. Michigan's guidelines specifically recognize that parents may request parenting time around days important to their religious or cultural practices. They also recognize when a particular holiday is tied to one parent’s extended family’s annual gathering. Maintaining the child’s participation in these significant events helps to support the child’s relationship with that particular parent.
While it’s common for parents to focus on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s, you need to think beyond that. There’s also Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, the children's birthdays, religious holidays, the 4th of July, Memorial Day weekend, Labor Day weekend, and Halloween. Family-specific traditions can also be treated as a holiday, such as an annual family reunion.
There are a few holiday splitting approaches that are commonly used in parenting plans. These are good to consider because they can be a template that establishes the majority of the plan. Parents can then adjust to meet their family’s needs.
One option is to alternate holidays. One parent has the children for Christmas one year, and then the other parent has the children for Christmas the following year. It can be worded in the plan as one parent has all even years and the other parent has odd years. This approach can be used for all of the holidays in the year. Parents could agree that Thanksgiving and Christmas are split. For instance, one parent has Thanksgiving and the other has Christmas. Then the following year, they switch.
Another option for a holiday parenting time schedule in Michigan is to share or split every holiday. Each holiday is divided between the parents so they both get to spend time with the children on the day. For example, one parent has Christmas Eve. The switch happens during Christmas Day. The other parent has the children for the rest of Christmas Day and the next day.
The sharing schedule that parents choose will depend on several factors. Parents that live close to each other and have a positive co-parenting relationship may prefer to split the holidays. While parents who live further apart or have a more contentious relationship may prefer to alternate.
A holiday parenting time schedule in Michigan should not contain generic or vague language. Simply stating "Parent A gets Christmas" doesn’t clarify the details of the arrangement. Include terms for how the exchange for the holiday will happen, such exchange time and location.
When implemented, the holiday schedule typically overrides the regular parenting time schedule. This can create an additional issue. If the holiday falls outside of the parents' normal parenting time, are there make-up time provisions? The Michigan Parenting Time Guideline also says the holiday schedule should be followed even when the holiday falls during the other parent's normal parenting time.
Michigan law expressly permits parenting-time orders to include specific pickup and return times, transportation responsibilities, transportation costs, and reasonable notice requirements.
In addition to the holidays, it’s a good idea to also address school breaks and vacation travel in a Michigan holiday parenting time schedule. Holidays often overlap with school breaks. This can create an extra layer of complication and scheduling issues. For example, one parent may have the children for winter break but it’s the other parent’s year to have the child for the Christmas holiday. The parenting plan needs to address how the parents will handle this situation.
Parents need to decide how the school breaks will be scheduled. Then, include how holidays will be shared when they happen during a school break. Include which schedule will take precedence over the other.
Address the practicality of the distance between the parents. If the parents live geographically far away from each other, it may not be practical for multiple exchanges during short breaks. Michigan's guideline recognizes that longer periods of parenting time may make sense when parents live farther apart and that distance, transportation, transportation costs, and the child's ability to travel should be considered.
At some point, one or both parents may want to take the children on a vacation where they travel to another location. This could include traveling out of state or even out of the country. To reduce the risk of conflict later, consider adding terms that will define how the parents will go about planning and taking these vacations. For example, include a time period required for giving advanced notice to the other parent. Establish an amount of time each parent has as a minimum for the vacation, such as a week. Outline the information that the vacationing parent must provide, such as flight and hotel information.
Starting with a template for a holiday parenting time schedule in Michigan can give parents a jumping-off point, but it shouldn’t be the ending point. One standardized schedule won’t work for all children. Parents need to consider their child’s age and unique needs. Michigan's Parenting Time Guideline specifically says the child's developmental stage should be considered when creating or modifying a schedule.
Infants and toddlers may struggle with long gaps of separation from either parent. School-age children may have more demanding schedules with activities. Older children and teens may have established routines and stronger preferences. A child may have special needs that need to be accounted for.
It may feel tedious, but agreeing on the details of your parenting plan now can help avoid issues and conflict later. The more detailed and precise your Michigan holiday parenting time schedule is, the less room there is for assumptions or miscommunication. Working with an experienced family law attorney can help parents create a comprehensive parenting plan. The Law Offices of Kevin R. Lynch P.L.C. represent parents across Michigan, helping them to shape what their family’s future will look like. Schedule a consultation today and let’s talk about your holiday parenting plan.
© 2026 Law Offices of Kevin R. Lynch P.L.C.
| View Our Disclaimer | Privacy Policy
Law Firm Website Design by The Modern Firm