Co-Parenting During Summer Vacation – Plan Ahead For Next Year

Co-parenting a child isn’t always easy, with both parents having to juggle their own schedules while also respecting each other’s relationship with the child and attempting to resolve disputes amicably. Co-parenting during the summer, however, can prove especially challenging, as both parents often want to go on family vacations and trips, but face opposition from the other parent. Fortunately, there are ways to avoid contention and give your family the best chance of having a successful summer vacation. To learn more about navigating your own parenting plan this summer, please reach out to our experienced Clearwater child custody lawyers today.

Create a Plan

One of the best ways to avoid conflict with a co-parent over summer vacation plans is to create a clear and detailed parenting plan, in which a firm schedule is created, as well as directions for how to deal with unexpected changes in that plan. Parenting plans can even dictate how problems will be resolved, or can provide flexibility, giving the parents discretion to come up with their own solutions as the need arises.

Discuss Vacation Plans with Your Co-Parent

While vacations can be a lot of fun for those involved, divorced parents who take their children on family trips must still abide by their custody agreement. This means that, when taking a child on vacation, whether in-state or out of state, each parent must notify the other before actually taking the child.

Prioritize Your Kids

Co-parents should also prioritize their children during vacations by remembering that summer break is a child’s chance to relax and have fun. Parents who instead treat summer vacation as an opportunity to compete with their child’s other parent for attention will likely only cause contention and hurt feelings. Involving children in the summer’s activities and giving them a voice in deciding what the family will do can also give them a feeling of importance and control over their own lives, while also demonstrating to the child’s other parent that you are prioritizing his or her interests.

Be Understanding and Cordial

It can be difficult to remain positive around an ex-partner, especially after an acrimonious divorce. Keeping your relationship cordial, however, is of the utmost importance to successful co-parenting, as both parties will still need to work together to raise their child and may also need to exercise flexibility in changing time sharing arrangements, including summer vacation plans.

Enlisting the Help of an Experienced Clearwater Attorney

If you and a former partner have been unable to reach an agreement on how your child will spend his or her summer break, you may need the help of a dedicated lawyer who can help you work out an amicable resolution. For help with your own custody-related questions or concerns, please reach out to us at Cairns Law today. You can set up an initial consultation by calling a member of our legal team at 727-683-1472 or by completing one of our online contact forms.

Resource:

flcourts.org/content/download/403367/file/995a.pdf