Summer is All About Communication for Co-Parents
Summertime for kids is an exciting time to be out of school, riding bikes around the neighborhood, swimming with friends, and just being a kid. For co-parents, the summer is all about communication. It is vitally important that you and your co-parent communicate effectively and avoid introducing conflict into your children’s enjoyment of summer. The more you can manage your emotions and speak with your co-parent in a kind or civil manner, the better it is for your kids.
Focus the Communication on Your Children
Keep communication with your co-parent focused on your children’s activities for the summer. Are they going to camp or summer school? Is there a summer daycare program they need to be enrolled in? Are they taking swimming lessons in the afternoon? You need to communicate with your co-parent to arrange pick-up or drop-off times and by focusing your communication only on your kids’ activities, you can avoid thorny topics that could create conflict.
Avoid Arguments
Don’t involve your kids in any arguments you are having with your co-parent. You should especially avoid having arguments and yelling at each other in front of your children. If a situation arises and you become upset, take a deep breather, count to 10, try to stay calm and remove yourself and/or the children from the situation.
Create Co-Parenting Schedules
During most divorces, when creating the parenting schedule, you look at the variety of activities throughout the calendar year. Traditionally, kids are in school from August/September to May/June and have a Thanksgiving break, winter break, spring break, and summer break.
In the divorce process, you will discuss different schedules. What does a regular school day look like for your kids? What does it look like on a winter break or a spring break? What does it look like in the summer? Most families have two working parents which means when children are on summer break, either parent can stop working.
You may need to coordinate a plan for childcare, daycare, or summer camp so that the kids are in good hands while you both parents are working.
If in-person or telephone communication is too difficult and stressful and not productive, you may want to agree with your co-parent to communicate only via text or email. But remember to keep your discussions focused on your children and be sure not to rope the children into any of your co-parenting conflicts. Summer is a time that can be filled with good memories for your children that will last a lifetime, if you and your co-parent work together for their benefit.
Since 2010, Burbank Lawyer Jami Fosgate has dedicated her law practice to assisting clients in a broad range of Family Law matters. In addition to helping couples and individuals peacefully resolve their cases in a timely and cost-effective manner, Jami Fosgate also provides Family Law Legal Documentation Preparation.
Jami Fosgate’s mediation practice is focused on bringing the parties together to control the outcome of their case and settle their disagreements amicably. By doing so, the parties will be better equipped to co-parent and work together to resolve any future conflicts.
