Back to School Tips–Divorce and Parenting
By Steve Bardol on August 26th, 2014 in blog
When summer ends, it signifies the commencement of the new school year. When a marriage ends, it means the beginning of the ongoing battle known as child custody arrangements.
While the Family Court of St. Louis City mandates that all parents going through a divorce attend a Parent Education Class, these classes don’t teach you everything. When you are helping your child cope with the new changes in their life, there are some hardships for which you truly can’t prepare them.
According to a recent blog post from the Huffington Post, one of the most confusing and difficult times in a divorce-affected family’s life is the beginning of the school year. This time of year brings a new schedule chock full of pick-ups and drop-offs for extracurricular activities, along with a myriad of parent-teacher meetings. Whether your child custody arrangement settlement went smoothly or was rocky, this time of year will be trying for all parties involved.
The Huffington Post blog recommends some tips on how to make this transition as seamless as possible. Below are a few we think could really benefit families we’ve interacted with:
- Consistency: Whatever you do, keep the schedule consistent. If one parent always picks up the child on Wednesdays, make sure that sticks. The more normalcy and repetition the child experiences, the easier it will be for all of you. Gaps and mishaps happen mostly due to last minute changes and inconsistent planning. If there was a time to be organized, this would be it.
- Communication: Despite your divorce, because you are parents, you will forever be a team and in order to work together to provide for your child, you must talk with one another. Whether it is an update via text message or quick email, staying attune to one another in the parenting sense is necessary.
- Information: While you may consider your split a private family matter, it could benefit your child to inform his or her teacher. Spending eight hours a day with your child, the teacher sees many things you may not. In case there ever is a scheduling mishap or the child doesn’t adjust well, the teacher will be able to be your greatest advocate and helper.
If you have questions about custody arrangements or how to navigate the divorce or post-divorce process, be sure to contact St. Louis, Missouri Bardol Law Firm, LLC.
