Help with child arrangements

My kids are teenagers and we have just had one Xmas apart so far . I had them Xmas eve and Xmas day - he had them Boxing Day and 27th . Can’t remember after that , but I did have NYE with them .

I work shifts though , so it’s not as simple , plus courts not involved at all - the only stipulation we agreed and wrote in to a contract we signed was that neither of us would take the kids away for the whole of the Xmas period , which would prevent the other parent from seeing them .

This year I am working nights all week , so unsure when I will see them (a few hours each day I guess ) but I will have the following week off with them .

Hi my kids are 8 & 4 and the way myself and their dad work it is, they are with me Christmas Day ( always ) and they go to him Boxing Day for 3 or 4 days. Christmas Eve so far they have been with me also. Throughout the normal year he has them every other weekend ( his choice) it’s a defo must for me that they are with me Christmas Day and thankfully for me, their dad has no objections to that. Boxing Day for him is their Christmas at his

I would rotate each year. One year you have them from around 4pm on Christmas eve through to 3 or 4pm on Christmas Day and then the following year, their dad has them. I know you don’t want to be away from your kids, but I’m sure their dad doesn’t either and he’s equally as important as you. Try to think of your children, not just yourself and your feelings. 50/50 custody is the way to go.

My brother would have my niece one Christmas eve night till Christmas day lunchtime around 12, then the following year would have her on Christmas day from 12 till the boxing day meaning that every other year she would be with him to open presents and the year she wasn't there for present opening she would be with him for Christmas Dinner.

She's now 18 but worked well as both parents got to see her opening presents on Christmas day.

Would also be the same arrangement for new years so alternative new year's eves at each parents.

I dont have a court order we work out contact ourselves (not easy juggling dads shiftwork)

We agreed we would both like part of xmas day and alternate years - so on year he goes to his dads on boxing day, wakes up xmas morning there...then comes bk to us lunchtime and xmas dinner.

The other days over the xmas hols we just split depending on Dads shiftwork and if either of us book anything special :-)

I have a partner who has a daughter and they do the same thing and luckily its matched up so we get them at the same time! (y)

We have alternative Christmases,

Christmas eve afternoon till Christmas lunchtime, if its my exs turn to have from Christmas lunchtime then he will have until 27th?

I hate it when its his turn to have xmas eve till xmas lunch as i love the build up to xmas, but its the fairest way, saying that the rest of the year isnt so organised or fair 😒

Our arrangement by court is from 4pm Xmas eve to 4pm Xmas day and the other is 4pm Xmas day to 4pm boxing day. Alternated each year and rest of the school holidays shared equally. Hooe u find an agreement that works xx

My friends kids used to do the half day thing but then the kids complained that their Christmas Day was too disjointed, so now they do alternate years. They go to the other parent on Boxing Day. It works because the kids love both sides of the family so they get to spend a whole day celebrating the way that side of the family does and seeing all their grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins properly etc rather than having a fleeting four hour window to squeeze everyone in before they have to go to their other parents house.

At the moment we alternate Christmas day. So this year he is with me Xmas eve and all day Xmas day. He goes to his dad on Boxing morning 10am for 3 days.

Then next year with dad Xmas eve 4pm and all day Xmas day until boxing day 10am. Then he goes back to his dad on the 29th for 3 days

I just think if our son can spend half days on Xmas day then he can spend some time with each parent.

He is still young and I think it would be nice if he can open his presents with both parents on Xmas day rather than one parent wait on boxing day to do it.