When you filed for divorce in a Kansas court, you may or may not have thought ahead to summer vacation. Perhaps you were immediately aware that there would be child custody issues to resolve regarding summer, including day-to-day supervision of your kids while you work, transportation to day camp or other summer activities, and more.
If you and your spouse get along well, you may have been able to achieve an agreement in a swift and amicable fashion. If there’s contention between you, however, even a seemingly minor issue might wind up sparking a dispute, which can be difficult to resolve, especially if your ex refuses to cooperate.
Prevent stressful co-parent situations by being proactive
You don’t have to feel bad about not wanting to spend time with your ex. After all, if you wanted to be together, you wouldn’t have filed for divorce. Since you will always share a bond as parents, it’s helpful to try to avoid co-parenting problems during summer by being proactive. The following list includes several tips to help you accomplish your goals:
- Schedule co-parent meetings to discuss summer activities and needs.
- Communicate with your ex directly and avoid using your kids as messengers.
- Agree to avoid speaking negatively about each other, especially in front of the kids.
- Discuss household rules with your children, including the fact that rules may be different at your house than they are at their other parent’s home.
- Realize that your children won’t be happy about every decision you and your ex make, but that doesn’t mean either of you are an unfit parent.
It’s best to choose your battles when it comes to co-parenting during summer vacation and helping your children adapt to a post-divorce lifestyle. If you and your ex fight over every issue, it will likely cause stress for the entire family. It’s also good to know where to seek support if a problem arises that you can’t resolve on your own.
Types of support that can help prevent summer time co-parenting stress
If you and your ex need added support to make summer time go smoothly, it might be a good idea to ask close friends or family members to step in and help as needed. You can also hire someone to care for your children while you’re at work enjoying personal time if asking each other to supervise the kids causes arguments between you.
If a specific problem arises, such as your ex tries to take your kids on vacation without seeking your permission when there’s a court order in place that requires it, you can bring the matter to the court’s attention. A child custody order is legally enforceable and both parents must fully adhere to its terms.
