Holidays are an important time of the year for most parents. In Texas, the Standard Possession Schedule provides specific dates/times for each parent to spend time with their children during the holidays. Not all holidays are addressed by the Texas Standard Possession Schedule.
The Texas Standard Possession Schedule contains specific terms for possession of the children for both parents for some of the major holidays. Not all holidays are addressed by the Texas Standard Possession Schedule. Therefore, if there is a holiday that you would like to be addressed by the Court or by agreement, then you need to make sure that the terms of possession of the children for that particular holiday are addressed in any and all orders regarding possession of the children.
The following holidays are specified in the Texas Standard Possession Order and are not altered regardless of the distance that the parents reside from one another:
1. Christmas;
2. Thanksgiving;
3. The Children’s birthdays;
4. Father’s Day; and
5. Mother’s Day.
In order to fully understand the Texas Standard Possession Schedule, it is important to know whether you are the “possessory conservator” or the “managing conservator.”
The managing conservator is also referred to as the “primary conservator” or the parent with the exclusive right to designate the primary residence of the children. The possessory conservator is commonly known as the parent that exercises their possession pursuant to the Standard Possession Schedule and/or the “non-primary conservator.”
Additionally, if you have children that are in daycare and/or are not yet of school age, then you need to review and obtain a copy of the school district calendar from the school district that the child would attend based upon his/her primary residence, if the child was attending school. This is the calendar that should be used in order to determine when your holiday periods of possession with the children should begin and end.
Christmas
Pursuant to the Texas Standard Possession Schedule Christmas is divided up between the parents into two separate parts, “a front-half and a back-half.” This allows each parent the opportunity to have possession of the children during the Christmas holiday in all years.
The front-half of Christmas in all years begins at 6:00 p.m. on the date that the children are released from school for the Christmas break and ends at noon on December 28. The back-half of Christmas in all years begins at noon on December 28 and ends at 6:00 p.m. on the day before the children return to school from Christmas break.
Pursuant to the Texas Standard Possession Schedule, the front-half and back-half of Christmas are rotated between the parents in even-numbered years and odd-numbered years. If you are the possessory conservator, you will have possession of and access to the children for the front-half of Christmas in even-numbered years. The managing conservator will have possession of and access to the children for the back-half of Christmas in even-numbered years. If you are the managing conservator, you will have possession of and access to the children for the front-half of Christmas in odd-numbered years. The managing conservator will have possession of and access to the children for the back-half of Christmas in odd-numbered years.
Thanksgiving
Pursuant to the Texas Standard Possession Schedule, Thanksgiving holiday is alternated between the parents each year. Thanksgiving holiday is not divided into a front-half and back-half like Christmas holiday.
If you are the possessory conservator, you will have possession of the children for Thanksgiving holiday in odd-numbered years beginning at the time that the children are released from school for Thanksgiving holiday and ending at 6:00 p.m. on the Sunday following Thanksgiving. The managing conservator will have possession of the children for Thanksgiving holiday in even-numbered years beginning at the time that the children are released from school for Thanksgiving holiday and ending at 6:00 p.m. on the Sunday following Thanksgiving.