Dealing With Visitation After A Divorce
While a divorce can be hard on the once married couple, it can be even harder on the kids. The family as they knew it is now disjointed with both parents living separate from each other. Visitation can be a good way to keep the bond between a parent and child tight. Even though the visitation is important for the kids, it can sometimes get stressful between the parents. In an effort to make it a positive experience for the kids, you have to be willing to work together. This can often be hard, especially when it couldn't be done during the marriage. To help make the experience better, here are some tips for dealing with visitation after a divorce.
Make a Schedule Available
One of the biggest issues that parents have to deal with during the visitation is schedules. Your children can have a busy schedule with school activities and sports. In an effort to keep things consistent and ensure everyone is on the same page, keep a calendar available so that everyone knows when visitation will occur. There should be a calendar at both parents' homes that show the same schedule. This will help kids understand when they will be with each parent and lessen the confusion.
Avoid Arguing in Front of the Kids
One of the hardest things for children to see is their parents not getting along. You are going to have differences with your former spouse but they should not be played out in front of the kids. Find a separate time when the kids are busy to discuss issues you two are facing. Ironing out differences away from the kids can help benefit everyone. When your kids see that their parents are getting along, they have less anxiety and stress to deal with.
Allow Communication with the Other Parent
In an effort to keep a united front, it is important to learn how to co-parent properly. It is understandable that a child would miss their other parent when they are visiting with another parent. To help ease their sadness, it is important to allow them to communicate with the other parent even when they are visiting with you. Calling their other parent to say goodnight or tell them about what happened at school only takes a few minutes and can greatly benefit the child.
Be On Time for All Visits
In an effort to respect everyone involved, you want to make sure you remain on time for visitations. If you say you are going to pick the kids up at a specific time, you need to be there or call ahead and let them know if something changes. This will help make the communication go much better in the future.
If you have issues with visitation, such as a former spouse continually forgetting to drop your child off for your visitation schedule, contact you divorce lawyer.
