When children learn that they are going to have to live in two homes, they often become upset. Not only are they left to deal with their parents splitting up, but they also have to think about what might happen now. The unknown is one factor that can be devastating to them. As their parent, you should try to set routines that can benefit them and lessen the stress they are feeling.
There are a few schedules that you are going to have to consider as you are creating the routine for your home. The biggest one that you need to think about is the parenting time schedule. This is what tells you when you will have the children in your home. Once you know this, you can figure out what’s going on during those times with the children.
Another schedule you have to look at is their school schedule. Knowing how this overlaps with your parenting time lets you know when you need to make child care plans. It also helps to know the kids’ extracurricular activity schedule since you may need to handle those commitments when they are with you.
Finally, you must know the holiday schedule and when there is a deviation from the normal parenting time schedule. This gives you the opportunity to plan for things like vacations and family events.
While this is a lot to take in, a good portion of this is included in the child custody order. Reviewing it periodically can help to ensure you aren’t missing anything that is important. It also gives you a chance to see if there are any modifications needed for things like vacation travel plans.
