How Thanksgiving rotates between co-parents
Most co-parenting plans alternate Thanksgiving year-to-year between the parents. Parent A gets Thanksgiving in even years, Parent B in odd years. The rotation is paired in opposition with Christmas, so if Parent A gets Christmas in even years, Parent A gets Thanksgiving in odd years. The pairing ensures neither parent is stuck losing both fall holidays in the same year. The Thanksgiving block is defined as a continuous period (Wednesday evening through Sunday evening is standard) to accommodate travel without the regular schedule cutting into the holiday weekend.
When The Thanksgiving Block Begins
The standard Thanksgiving block begins Wednesday evening, typically 5pm, when school dismisses for the holiday. It runs through Sunday evening at 6pm when the regular schedule resumes. Some plans start the block at Tuesday evening if the school has a half-day Wednesday. The block is treated as continuous regardless of what the regular schedule would have done, even if the regular rotation gave Saturday to one parent, the Thanksgiving rotation overrides it. The on-Thanksgiving parent has the entire block. The off-parent has no parenting time during Thanksgiving in their off-year.
Travel During Thanksgiving
Most Thanksgiving plans allow either parent to travel during their on-Thanksgiving year. The travel notice rule from the broader parenting plan applies: typically seven days advance notice with itinerary, locations, and contact information. Travel out of state or out of country may require additional consent depending on the plan. Some plans explicitly allow flights and longer-distance travel during Thanksgiving block because it is one of the few times in the school year when extended visits to family are possible. The off-parent does not have right of first refusal during the Thanksgiving block.
When Both Parents Want To See The Kids
Some families split Thanksgiving Day itself, Parent A from Wednesday through Thanksgiving morning at 11am, Parent B from 11am through Sunday, so both parents see the children on the actual holiday. This works only when the parents live close enough for a mid-day handoff. The split is rare because Thanksgiving Day is short and the children's grandparents on both sides usually want a continuous celebration. Most families accept the full-block rotation and let the off-year parent have a make-up celebration on a different day of the weekend.
Younger Children And Thanksgiving Travel
Younger children traveling for Thanksgiving need particular consideration. Long flights or drives can be exhausting; multiple stops at different relatives compound the fatigue. The on-Thanksgiving parent should plan the schedule with the child's tolerance in mind, not the adult relatives' wishes. Most successful Thanksgiving plans for young children pick one location, either the on-parent's home or one set of grandparents, and stay there for the block rather than touring multiple houses. The grandparents can come to the on-parent if travel is too much for the child.
How CoFam Handles Thanksgiving
CoFam stores the Thanksgiving rotation as part of the holiday overlay. Pick the rotation (Parent A in even years, Parent B in odd) and the calendar automatically applies the override for the Wednesday-Sunday block in any year. The override shows as a holiday-marked block in the on-parent's color. The off-parent's color disappears for the block. Travel notes can be attached to the block, destination, dates, contact information, so the off-parent has the information without needing to ask.
See how CoFam handles holiday rotations → the CoFam calendar