Co-parenting Tips for Summer Vacation  ~2 min read

Summer vacation is coming, and children will be out of school. Teenagers may have summer jobs. Younger children will need supervision and things to do. There may be soccer practice and other activities that the minors are involved with. This creates some issues for divorced parents who are co-parenting.

Parents may struggle with balancing the interests of the children with their own. One parent may plan a vacation at a time the other parent was hoping to spend quality at-home time with the children. It can get testy between the parents if they put their own needs before the needs of the children.

Helpful Hints for Co-Parenting During the Summer Break

Communication between the parents is key to having a successful and fun summer break. This is often difficult since often parents had trouble communicating even before the divorce. Some helpful hints include:

Plan ahead. Before the break, parents should share with each other how they would like the summer schedule to look. If children are old enough, their interests should be considered. What summer activities are they hoping to be involved with? If possible, the parents should arrange their schedule to accommodate the needs and reasonable desires of the children.

Compromise. This is sometimes a difficult premise for a divorced couple to accept. The inability to compromise may have been another one of the issues that led to the divorce. But compromise can be key to having a successful summer vacation for parents and children alike. For example, if each parent wants to take the children on a summer vacation trip, the two parents should work together to see that their plans do not conflict.

Do the plans of the parent’s conflict with what the children want to do for the summer? If the parents and children can all compromise so that each parent has quality parenting time with the children during the break, the summer will end with all being satisfied with the memories that were made.

Make the Summer Vacation a Positive Time for Your Children

Make sure your discussion plans with your children are positive. You want to relieve them of any guilt they may feel due to their conflicting emotions. They often feel guilty if they are having fun with one parent and worry about the other parent who may be staying home alone, going to work, while the other half of the family is off having fun.

Let your children know you miss them while they are gone, but also let them know you are very happy for them that they have the chance to have fun if they are not with you.

For more information about co-parenting, contact Daniel Abasolo at 940-387-0404 to schedule a consultation.