Q: What is vacation parenting time?

A: Vacation parenting time is an extended period of time that may or may not involve travel.

It is important for parents to decide:

• how much vacation parenting time each parent will have each year.

• how much vacation parenting time may be taken at one time. For example, parents may agree that they each have two weeks of vacation each year and that they may take one two- week vacation or two one-week vacations.

• whether the vacation parenting time will change as the child gets older.

• how a “week” of vacation parenting time will be defined. For example, the parents may agree that a “week of vacation parenting time” is seven continuous days that includes one’s own parenting time weekend or they may agree that a “week of vacation parenting time” is seven continuous days that includes the other parent’s weekend.

• how much advance notice must be given to the other parent before the start of vacation parenting time. For example, parents may agree to give each other 30 days’ advance notice or notice no later than May 1.

• which parent has first choice if both parents give notice of the same dates for vacation parenting time. For example, Parent A has first choice in odd-numbered years and Parent B has first choice in even-numbered years.