The holidays are supposed to feel warm, but for separated parents in Marietta and across Cobb County, they often start with one question: who has the kids this year? The good news is you usually don’t have to guess. Your parenting plan already holds the answer. The tricky part is reading it the way a judge would.
Start With Your Parenting Plan
Under Georgia’s parenting plan law, every parenting plan must address holidays, birthdays, vacations, and other special days. That means your order, not who the “primary” parent is, decides where the children spend Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Find the holiday section in your signed order and look for 3 things: which parent has which holiday this year, the exact start and end times, and where the exchange happens. Those details settle most holiday disagreements before they start.
Thanksgiving May Be Shorter Than You Think
This surprises a lot of Cobb County parents. Cobb County’s standard parenting plan form lists Thanksgiving as Thursday and Friday, but the Cobb County School District calendar and Marietta City Schools give children the whole week off. Unless your order says otherwise, “having Thanksgiving” may mean 2 days, and the rest of the week follows your regular schedule.
Thanksgiving falls on November 26 this year, so now is the time to confirm times and travel plans. If your exchanges are tied to school dismissal or return, use the calendar for your child’s own school system, since Cobb and Marietta set their calendars separately.
Christmas: Read the December Wording Carefully
Christmas Day 2026 lands on a Friday, right where it can bump into someone’s regular weekend. Cobb County’s form says that when the holiday schedule and the regular schedule conflict, the holiday schedule wins. Your own order still controls, so read its exact language.
Many Cobb County plans split the December break in half. One parent has the first half, the other has the second, and they switch every year. Christmas Day falls wherever your order’s dividing date puts it.
Watch Out for "Winter Break"
Here’s a local detail that trips up families. Cobb County schools call the December break “Winter Holidays,” and Marietta City Schools calls it “Holiday Break.” Both districts also have a separate February week called “Winter Break.” If your order simply says “winter break,” confirm which period it means before you book anything.
When Plans Need to Change
Parents can often agree to swap or adjust a holiday, and that flexibility is good for kids. Put any change in writing with dates, times, and who’s driving. Just know that Cobb County’s form is clear: an agreement between parents is not a court order, and only the court can permanently change custody. If your holiday schedule has stopped working for your family, that calls for a custody modification.
If an Exchange Goes Wrong
If the other parent refuses a holiday exchange, stay calm and don’t argue in front of the children. Write down what happened, save the texts, and talk with a family law attorney about your options, which may include a contempt action.
Before the Holidays Arrive
Holiday schedules work best when both parents read the same order the same way. Take a few minutes this week to find your parenting plan, mark the exchange times, and check them against your child’s school calendar. If something in the wording isn’t clear, Attorney Sean R. Whitworth and our flat fee family law firm help parents in Marietta, Kennesaw, Acworth, and East Cobb understand their orders. You can request a consultation with a child custody attorney in Marietta before the holiday rush.
This article is general information, not legal advice. Every family’s order is different.
Frequently Asked Questions
Whoever your parenting plan says. Georgia law requires every plan to spell out holidays, and many plans alternate Thanksgiving year to year. Pull out your order and look for the holiday section first.
Often just 2 days. Cobb County’s standard parenting plan form lists Thanksgiving as Thursday and Friday, even though Cobb and Marietta schools close all week. Your order’s exact times decide it.
It can. When December 25, 2026 lands on a Friday, it may overlap a regular weekend. In Cobb County’s form, the holiday schedule wins over the regular weekend unless your order says otherwise.
Not always. Cobb schools call December “Winter Holidays” and use “Winter Break” for a week in February. If your order just says “winter break,” find out which one it means before you make plans.
Many Marietta parenting plans give one parent the first half and the other parent the second half, then switch each year. Christmas Day lands wherever your order’s dividing date puts it.
Usually, if you both agree. Put it in writing with dates, times, and who drives. In Cobb County, an agreement between parents isn’t a court order, so it won’t permanently change custody.
Stay calm, don’t argue at the exchange, and write down what happened, including texts. Then talk with a family law attorney about whether a contempt action makes sense.
Check your order for travel and notice rules. Many plans require advance notice and an itinerary. If yours is silent, sharing details early prevents a lot of conflict.
That takes a custody modification through the court. If the current schedule stopped working for your family, an attorney can explain whether a modification fits your situation.
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