As a new school year is quickly approaching, you and your ex have a unique set of challenges to navigate if you co-parent your school-age kids. From coordinating schedules to ensuring consistent communication, getting ready for the school year requires careful planning and collaboration.
If you haven’t yet done so, it’s time to sit down and discuss scheduling before the school year begins. If your parenting plan doesn’t indicate who is responsible for school drop-offs, pick-ups, extracurricular activities and any after-school care, you need to iron out these concerns now. A failure to do so can lead to otherwise preventable tension.
When tackling this planning task, it’s important to review the school calendar together, noting important dates such as parent-teacher conferences, holidays and school breaks. By coordinating schedules early, you and your co-parents can work to ensure that your child’s routine is as stable as possible and that everyone on both sides of the family can plan according to your agreed-upon approach.
Keep consistency in mind as a priority
As you plan for the year ahead, you’ll want to remember that most children thrive on consistency, and having similar rules, routines and expectations across both households can provide them with a sense of stability. If possible and appropriate, you and your co-parent should aim to establish consistent guidelines for homework, bedtime, screen time and other daily routines. This consistency can potentially help your children transition more easily between households and focus more on their education rather than adjusting – and readjusting – to different sets of rules.
Preparing for the new school year as co-parents isn’t an easy feat. However, making this effort now can potentially save you significant headaches down the line.