PARENTING TIME TIPS FOR BACK TO SCHOOL

by Van Den Heuvel Law Office

The beginning of the new school year comes with many challenges, especially for parents who have gone through a divorce but are still co-parenting a child. At the Van Den Heuvel Law Office, our experienced Michigan family law attorneys understand how stressful this time can be and are here to provide you with some tips on how to navigate the time around back to school. Our experienced family law attorneys are here to help with any legal issues that may arise during or after your divorce. To learn more, call or contact our office to schedule a consultation.

Utilizing Technology

One of the easiest ways to manage co-parenting during back to school is to utilize technology. Both parents and the child should be on the same calendar that is accessible to everyone. This eliminates confusion or miscommunications about pick-ups, drop-offs, school events, holidays, extracurriculars, and other appointments that may impact parenting time. Using a cloud-based calendar app allows parents to make changes or notes on events that keeps everyone informed about what is happening.

Getting Information From the School

Make sure that both parents are also receiving information from the school about things that may impact their child. If there is access to grades and homework assignments online, both parents should have access. If there is a notification system about snow days or other issues that may impact the school, both parents should receive those messages. The school should have both parents’ contact information if they need to get in touch with a parent about an issue.

Share Shopping Duties

Back to school time inevitably comes with the need for new school supplies, clothes, and other expenditures. This should not fall to one parent alone – both parents should be contributing to the shopping for the new school year. This could be accomplished by each parent taking a number of items to purchase when they go shopping with their child, or one parent could contribute financially while the other handles the physical shopping for these items. There may also be disagreements on what should be purchased for the child for the new school year, so be prepared to have a discussion with the other parent about these choices. 

No Good Cop, Bad Cop

Finally, both parents should take responsibility for ensuring that their child has their schoolwork and projects done at home. Do not make one parent the fun one and one parent the mean one who makes the child do their homework. Both parents should be helping their child with their work, and parents should coordinate so they are both aware of big due dates for projects, essays, or tests.

Talk to Our Office Today

Do you need more advice on how to handle going back to school with a co-parent or any other issues affecting your family? If so, the experienced and knowledgeable Michigan lawyers at the Van Den Heuvel Law Office are here to help. Call or contact us today to schedule a consultation.

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