Summertime can bring child custody strife between parents

Summer break is a time that most children anticipate all during the school year. This break from the routines of the rest of the year gives kids a chance to relax and have fun. Summertime fun can lead to great memories for the entire family, but many Colorado families who have gone through a divorce struggle to find a scheduling solution that works for both parents. The following advice is provided for parents who are looking for child custody solutions this summer.

Perhaps the most important thing to remember when planning the summer schedule is that an additional degree of flexibility is called for during summer break. This not the time to insist upon rigid adherence to the summer visitation schedule. There are simply too many moving parts that need to be factored in, and both parents must be willing to work together to make the summer flow smoothly.

For example, summer school, summer camp, vacation plans and visits with grandparents can all throw a wrench into the existing child custody schedule. This where parents have to set aside their own wants and needs and place the best interests of their kids at the forefront. A child who needs the extra support provided during summer school may not be able to go to Dad’s house for the regularly scheduled four-week visitation. However, parents can swap out other times to make up for that lost parenting time, either during summer break or on other holidays throughout the year.

Parents should also remember that being flexible during the summer should buy them some consideration when the time comes to make their own scheduling requests. Some families, for example, agree that the kids will go on an extended summer vacation with one parent this summer, but will be allowed to go on another long trip with the other parent the following summer. Each Colorado family will have its own set of scheduling needs, but parents who are willing and able to work together can reach a child custody solution that will make summertime memorable, for all of the right reasons.

Source: The Huffington Post, “5 Tips to Prevent Discord While Sharing Custody of the Children Over the Summer“, Steve Mindel, June 7, 2016