Halloween Custody Schedules

Halloween is a 2-4 hour evening event in most families. Most plans either alternate years for trick-or-treating or split the evening between parents who live close.

Typical Arrangements

Alternating years

Parent A takes even years, Parent B takes odd years. Full evening (trick-or-treating, candy count, overnight). Simplest; fairest over time.

Split evening

Children trick-or-treat with one parent from 5-7 PM, with the other from 7-9 PM. Works only when both parents live in the same neighborhood.

Costume day + Halloween evening split

One parent gets the weekend before (for costume parade, school parties, pumpkin carving). The other parent gets Halloween evening itself. Alternates yearly.

Common Conflict Scenarios

Halloween falls on a school night and the regular-schedule parent has the overnight.

Plans should specify whether Halloween overrides the regular schedule. The easier approach: Halloween always follows alternating years regardless of weekday. The off-parent gets the overnight that year, but returns to regular schedule at school drop-off.

School costume parade vs parent's work schedule.

Morning costume events usually fall to whoever has school drop-off that day. No special swap needed.