Getting a divorce is tough on you, but it’s also rough on your kids. If your children are in elementary school, you and your spouse may have been cautious about how much you’ve told them. Now, you may feel like it’s time to let them know that you’re divorcing, but you want to make sure you do it right.
One of the biggest concerns you think your children will have is where they’re going to live. That’s why you and your spouse have been sitting down to work out a parenting time schedule. Unfortunately, despite your best efforts, neither of you is able to come up with a plan that the other is happy with.
The good news is that you can get through this and come up with a schedule that your children will understand. Here are three tips to help you as you do so.
Creating a custody plan: Making one that sticks
The tough thing about custody plans is that you have to consider not only your schedule and your spouse’s schedule, but also your children’s schedules. You need to create a plan that works for your children’s schooling at the same time as having one that fits with your work schedules.
So, how can you do it? The first tip is for you to sit down and write out a schedule that would be perfect for you. Have your spouse do the same thing, so that you both have your ideal schedule in front of you.
Compare those schedules. Is there anything, even one day, which is the same? If so, use a third paper to write that day down. Decide who will spend time with the kids that day, and set it aside.
The next tip is to try to schedule in a way that makes sense for your children. If they both go to school on the same bus and come home together, then it may be a good idea for them to go to the same home. If they go separately, then splitting their schedules may work for you. Write down their schedules to get a feel for which activities you have to account for.
Finally, if you do have a serious dispute, don’t wait to talk to someone about it. Your attorney can help you by presenting possible solutions based on what they’ve seen in the past, or they can help represent you if you end up having to take the case to court.
