Notify the non-custodial parent
Although there is not a legal requirement in most jurisdictions requiring you to notify the non-custodial parent of your intent to take a vacation or even to notify them of your itinerary unless it conflicts with a scheduled visitation, it is a good practice to do so. Since most states require that the other parent participate in major life decisions affecting the child, which are in their best interest, it would only make sense that the non-custodial parent is aware of any plans upcoming in the children's lives. Since vacation or special plans might be a big event in a child's life, the non-custodial parent might like to know and be included in the children's excitement.
Conflicts
If scheduled visitation interferes with the time that vacation is scheduled discuss it with the non-custodial parent. Suggest a trade off of time or weeks. Write down any agreement so when the time to trade comes it won't be forgotten.
Encourage contact while away
Encourage and allow your children to contact their non-custodial parent while they are away. Sending a post card does not take a lot of time or money. This will help to establish a pattern of communication that will be reciprocated when the non-custodial parent takes the children on a trip or for a visit. Sending post cards at important intervals during the trip can also be something that the children might look forward to at the next stop and can serve as entertainment during long trips. Pictures
Give the non-custodial parent copies of pictures of the children taken during the trip. That might be something that the other parent might enjoy. In addition, it might make the scheduled time away easy to accept and be easier for planning future vacations. It could also serve as a vehicle for communication and sharing of feelings between the other parent and the children by sharing events in their life.
Find out if there is family near where your vacation is scheduled
On occasion there might be relatives of the other parent living near where your trip has been scheduled. Encourage the other parent to arrange a visitation for the children. Those relatives are still part of the children's family despite your separation from the other parent. Openly encouraging contact like this will be a great example for the children and will show your willingness to have a positive relationship with the other parent. If a visit is uncomfortable for you, arrange an hour or two visit or meeting where the child can go unaccompanied.
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