Charlotte Divorce Lawyer Blog
Divorced Parent Guide to Preparing for the School Year
Summer is quickly coming to a close, and school will start soon. Whether you are separated, newly divorced, or have been divorced for some time, you and your former spouse will need to work together to prepare for the upcoming school year. It is essential to establish routines and make the school year as easy and stress-free for your child as possible.
Implement a New Routine
With the new school year, it’s time to implement a regular schedule that both parents approve of. Look to your parenting plan for guidance on the major issues regarding living and visitation agreements. Create a plan that will provide your child with stability on a daily basis. For example, you may decide that mom will pick up the child throughout the week and dad will pick up the child on Friday after school for a weekend visit. Make a plan that is workable for both parents and gives the child a regular schedule that he or she can rely on.
Inform the School of Parenting Arrangements
It is important to inform the school and your child’s teacher about the changes in your family. Provide the school with updated contact information and details about child pick-up schedules. Your child’s teacher can help watch for any behavioral or other changes that could impact his or her education. Be sure that both parents are on the list to receive updates and emails regarding school activities, events, field trips, and information about your child’s scholastic updates. You may request separate parent-teacher conferences so both parents continue to stay involved in your child’s educational needs.
Set Up Regular Communication
Although the two of you may have had poor communication in the past, now is the time to put aside your differences and come together for the best interests of your child. Both parents need to be aware of how their child is performing at school and any issues that may arise. In addition, you will need to be available for parent-teacher conferences, events, and activities. Set up a weekly day and time to talk to the other parent. Focus these weekly check-ins on issues about your child, and do not spend the time arguing about other matters.
Help Your Child Deal With Divorce
Divorce can be difficult for children, especially at the start of a new school year. Your child may face questions from other students and may be unsure of how to answer them. Talk to your child and give them age-appropriate guidance on how to handle these issues. Let your child know that although you and your former spouse are no longer together, you will both still be involved in the child’s life and care about your child’s well-being. Generally, a child can answer questions from other kids with simple answers. Continue to assess your child’s adjustment as time goes on to ensure that he or she is still adapting in a positive manner.
Contact Arnold & Smith, PLLC, at (704) 370-2828 to discuss your divorce needs with our legal team.
The family law practice group at Arnold & Smith, PLLC includes two Board-Certified Family Law specialists and one Child Welfare Law specialist, as well as several attorneys with many years of family law experience that are committed to providing a powerful voice to individuals facing the often-tumultuous issues in this area of law. The range of issues our family law clients may be facing include pre- and post-nuptial agreements; separation agreements; post-separation support; child support (both temporary and permanent); absolute divorce; divorce from bed and board; military divorce; equitable distribution of assets; child custody (both temporary and permanent); retirement benefits and divorce; alimony and spousal support; adoption; and emancipation. Because this area of the law is usually emotionally charged and complicated, the family law attorneys at Arnold & Smith, PLLC act with the utmost dedication to ensure that each client understands his or her options, and then act to achieve the best result possible for that client’s particular situation.
Source:
https://www.nccourts.gov/help-topics/divorce-and-marriage/separation-and-divorce
https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/parenting_plan
Image Credit:
https://www.freeimages.com/photo/daddy-reading-behind-1432160
See Our Related Video from our YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/user/ArnoldSmithPLLC?feature=watch
See Our Related Blog Posts: