For years, holiday parenting plan schedules have been a mix of the standard “alternate the holidays” mixed with an argument regarding which parent gets Christmas. Holiday parenting plans can be so much more than that. They can be a tool to maximize extended weekends to allow a parent to take the children on a short trip, a way for parents to think about what is best for their children and what that will look like in the future, and an opportunity for parents to build good-will towards one another which often will improve other aspects of their co-parenting relationship.