For most kids in Texas, summer is the best time of the year. There are three months (or so) of freedom, no school, and fun.
However, for parents with a custody agreement, it means sharing time with your child’s other parent, making summer break stressful. Without a solid plan, you may spend the entire three months figuring out weekends, drop-offs, and scheduling. Avoiding this stressful situation is possible, and it all starts with a co-parenting plan.
Develop a co-parenting plan
If you and your child’s other parent have an amicable relationship, you can create this plan yourselves. However, involving a mediator is a smart move if it’s hard to agree on co-parenting terms. They can help work out the details of your summer co-parenting schedule without arguments and hateful words.
It’s also worth mentioning that the plan you create this summer won’t always work in the following years. As kids’ interests change and parents have new responsibilities, it’s important to update the summer co-parenting plan you create.
Make vacation plans known in advance
During the summer months, it’s not uncommon for families to plan vacations. If you plan a trip that may not fall on your time with your child, but want to include them, make sure your child’s other parent knows about it in advance. This will allow you to sit down and revise the schedule to accommodate these plans. If you wait until the last minute and have a pre-existing co-parenting schedule, the other parent may not agree to the changes.
Handling co-parenting over the summer months
When you first create a child custody agreement, following it to the letter may make sense. However, as your situation changes and your children grow, updates are a must. Make sure to consider the tips above, which will help ensure everyone has a fun, stress-free summertime — and that your co-parenting relationship continues to thrive.