Keep an Open Mind About Shared Parenting This Summer

 Posted on July 13, 2018 in Child Custody

Warmer temperatures finally seem to be here to stay, and the school year will soon be ending. School-aged children throughout Northern Illinois are already looking forward to fewer responsibilities and more freedom. For their part, many parents may also be ready for days in the sun and away from school-related activities. Summertime, however, can be challenging for divorced, separated, or unmarried parents who share parental responsibilities with their former partner. Increased freedom for the children means an increased need for communication and cooperation between their parents.

Be Self-Aware

If you are subject to a shared parenting plan or child custody order, it is important to be objective about your reality and what options you may have. For example, if you have a contentious relationship with your former spouse (or the other parent), you may not be able to communicate easily and offer concessions to one another. In such a situation, you might need to have your summer schedule prepared well in advance and approved formally by the court.

On the other hand, if you and the other parent are relatively cordial—or even friendly—you will probably have more room for flexibility and spontaneity. If you are newly divorced or separated but you have not gotten beyond the bitterness of your split yet, do not be disheartened. As time goes by, you and your ex may be able to put the past behind you and find common ground for the future.

Be Respectful

The summer season offers a wide variety of activities, some of which can be available at a moment’s notice while others require advance planning. Before you make any plans, it is important to know which parent is supposed to have parenting time during which parts of the summer. For example, it is not a good idea to sign your children up for a week-long summer camp during a week that they were supposed to spend with the other parent—at least not without discussing the matter with the other parent first.

Be Open to Compromise

There is, however, nothing necessarily wrong with being spontaneous either, especially if you have a decent relationship with your ex. If somebody gives you tickets to tomorrow’s White Sox game, for example, but your children were supposed to be with the other parent, do not be afraid to ask if you could take them anyway. By being willing to compromise in return, you will increase the likelihood that the other parent will be agreeable to your request.

Contact Us for Help

It can be difficult for many people to create a summer parenting plan that meets the needs of both parents and the children, but doing so is possible. Contact an experienced Naperville family law attorney to get the guidance you need. Call 630-352-2240 for a confidential consultation today.

Sources:

http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs5.asp?ActID=2086&ChapterID=59