Remember when you were a child, and summer meant months without worrying about anything (or at least that’s how you recall it)? Today, as a divorced parent with a child, you want to give them that kind of summer for as long as possible.
For you and your co-parent, however, that means spending some time planning how your child custody (possession) agreement will change while your child is on summer break. By determining this before their break begins, you can help minimize stress for yourselves and, most importantly, your child.
Does your custody schedule need to change for summer?
Summer custody schedules often involve children having longer stretches of time at each parent’s home. They might alternate every two weeks, for example. Another option, especially if one parent can work at home or has the summer off, is for the child to stay with that parent during the week and the other on the weekends. Generally, older kids do better with fewer exchanges than young ones do.
If one parent lives far away and the child lives primarily with the other parent, you may decide to let them spend the summer with the long-distance parent to help make up for “lost” time. This is typically best for teens who can travel alone and won’t get homesick being away from one parent for so long.
If your child is old enough, it’s good to let them weigh in before you determine a summer schedule. They may have done some summer vacation planning of their own or at least have preferences you don’t know about. For younger kids, having someplace supervised for them to go (like day camp) may be necessary if one or both parents work full-time.
Two other considerations: Travel and child support
If one or both of you is planning a trip with your child, it’s crucial to determine how that fits into the rest of the schedule and have any required permission documented. Even if you’re not planning to venture too far from the Weatherford, Texas, and Dallas-Ft. Worth area, sharing a travel itinerary with your co-parent can help give them peace of mind and better stay in touch with their child.
If the summer parenting time schedule is significantly different from the rest of the year, you may need to make temporary adjustments in your child support order. Once you’ve worked out this and other details (or if you need help negotiating them), it’s smart to get your own legal guidance lined up to help ensure that everything is codified properly.
That doesn’t mean there isn’t room for a little flexibility here and there if it’s in your child’s best interests or necessary for a parent’s job or other obligations. Flexibility is necessary for successful co-parenting. However, having a solid framework in place before summer vacation begins can help your child look forward to this time with joyful anticipation rather than uncertainty.