Coparenting Tips for Managing Child Custody in Summer

Summer means longer days, warmer nights, and for the 13 million parents who share custody of their child(ren), it means adapting to seasonal childcare needs. Parenting plans and child custody arrangements are always designed with the best interests of the children in mind. Summer break is no exception. 

While the official terms of a parenting plan often can’t be modified without a judge’s signature, there are ways to keep summer plans flexible within the parameters of the plan and for everyone’s benefit. In our experience, we’ve found these three tips to be key to a smooth summer season.

Over Communicate: As a best practice, get granular with the details. Even in the most amicable circumstances, having detailed, written agreements on summer plans can prevent misunderstandings. Does your drop-off arrangement change in the summer? Who is covering camp fees? Will you need to swap weeks at one point to accommodate a grandparent’s visit? These arrangements may then need to be shared with baby-sitters, extended family, and so on. Over-communicating on the specifics of your children’s plans and needs, as well as your own, will help ensure you all enjoy a smooth summer. 

Share a Vision: Parents are forever juggling responsibilities and working through long To-Do lists. Taking a pause to discuss a summer vision can actually save a lot of time and headache down the road. What’s important to you as parents? What experiences do you want your children to have? Your vision will change from summer to summer as your children’s ages, needs, and preferences change, so it’s important to take a fresh look each year. Involve your kids in this discussion too, even if they’re very young. 

Celebrate Summer! - While it’s natural to miss your children when they’re not with you, the summer months offer some bonus opportunities that can help make up for the hours you miss them. For instance, you can find precious time to spend together when your school-age kids aren’t rushing off to school in the morning or mired in homework and after-school activities in the evening. The extra hours of sunlight and warmer temperatures make it easier to share memory-making quality time with each other, whether it’s simply enjoying a relaxing after-dinner stroll outdoors or embarking on a summer vacation. Savor these special moments that only summer can bring.

At Artese Zandri, we help families look out for the best interests of their children in shared custody arrangements. If you or someone you know is searching for an experienced family law office, reach out to us for a complimentary consultation at consultation@artesezandri.com.