The summer months don’t have to be stressful ones just because you and your ex have a child custody agreement. With proper planning, you can enjoy the time you have with your children during the summer and they can have fun without having to worry about school.
One of the most important things for you to do before you make summer plans is to review the child custody agreement. This document contains all the information you need to know about the schedules and parenting time for these warmer months. From there, you need to start thinking about the logistics for summer.
Supervising your children
Now is the time to find child care if you are going to have physical custody of your children this summer. Of course, older children, such as teenagers, might not need to be supervised while you are at work. For younger children, you will likely need day care for them while you are at work.
This is where you and your ex might need to communicate. If both parents will have the children while they are working, you need to decide if you are going to use the same babysitter or day care or if the child will have different ones with each parent.
Making vacation plans
If you are planning on taking a vacation with your child, check the dates. In some cases, vacation plans will trump regular schedules. This means that you need to communicate your plans with your ex so that you can ensure that nothing overlaps. It is a good idea to do this before you make any reservations, including flights and hotel rooms.
You must also ensure that you aren’t going to anywhere forbidden by the child custody order. Some orders have geographical limitations that must be complied with. You might have to get your ex’s or the court’s permission to take your child out of the county or state.
Handling challenging issues
With the major upheaval that comes with the change in schedules for the summer, it shouldn’t come as a shock that children might have some challenges with the changes. Often, these come with a desire to revert back to the old schedule. It might be difficult for them to cope with not being able to see the other parent as often. You can help your children work through this by encouraging them to stay in contact with the other parent. Don’t feel angry or sad when they want that parent because it is normal and not a reflection on you.
