The unofficial start to summer has begun. An important part of a parenting plan accommodates the children's needs during the summer months. Using a divorce mediator can make this process smoother and more amicable, ensuring that both parents' and children's needs are met. A divorce mediator can help you craft a summer schedule that everyone can enjoy.
A divorce mediator is a neutral third party that helps divorcing couples reach mutually agreeable resolutions to all the issues related to their divorce. Unlike a judge, who imposes decisions, a divorce mediator facilitates discussions, helping co-parents communicate more effectively and work collaboratively towards a resolution to each and every topic of discussion. This approach is particularly beneficial for creating a parenting plan for summer schedules, which tends to vary from the school-year parenting plan and often requires some flexibility and cooperation.
There are many benefits to using a divorce mediator to help you develop your summer parenting plan. The divorce mediator at Westfield Mediation, LLC, is trained to help minimize disagreements by fostering a cooperative environment. This can be especially useful when planning for the summer, a period that might involve extended vacations, camps and other special activities. A mediator can tailor an agreement to your family’s unique needs. This can ensure that summer schedules take into account the children and their needs while accommodating co-parents’ work and personal plans. Mediation sessions enhance communication between co-parents. Better communication skills can be invaluable when dealing with unexpected changes or adjustments to the summer schedule, such as travel delays or illness. A final benefit is that mediation is significantly less expensive than litigation. This allows parents to allocate more financial resources to enriching their children’s lives and summer experiences.
There are several steps to creating a summer parenting plan during the divorce mediation process. Co-parents will identify their goals and priorities. Specific time frames may need to be allocated for vacation plans, summer camps, family events or just some downtime for the kids. So, the divorce mediator can guide the co-parents to discuss their summer plans and develop a plan of action. Your plan of action can be detailed with specific dates, times and responsibilities, reducing the likelihood of future misunderstandings. Or you can have a more casual plan of action that allows for maximum flexibility. The process you develop now can carry forward for future summer plans.
There are numerous components of a summer parenting plan. The plan should clearly outline each co-parent’s vacation time with the children. Vacation time does not mean you have to go on vacation with the children. It just means you have continuous parenting time that supersedes the regularly scheduled parenting time. The day-to-day parenting time might be different in the summer compared to the school-year schedule. You may need to address daily routines, pick-up and drop-off times, and any adjustments needs for work schedules. How are the children spending their time in the summer? Are there plans for summer camps, special events or extracurricular activities? And just like during the school-year, always have a contingency plan to help manage real life situations (that dreaded traffic again) without escalating tensions. A plan on paper is great but real life always finds a way to pop up, which can mess up your plan on paper.
Creating a summer parenting plan through mediation, not only helps in crafting a solid schedule but also fosters a cooperative co-parenting relationship. By focusing on the children and maintaining open communication, which is cultivated throughout the divorce mediation process, co-parents can ensure an enjoyable summer for their children. Embracing the divorce mediation process can turn what might be a stressful, expensive, difficult process into a constructive and positive experience for the entire family.
For more information about a summer parenting plan and divorce mediation, please contact Michelle Weinberg, M.Ed., Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, at Westfield Mediation, LLC, at 908.913.0373. View our website at www.westfieldnjmediation.com or email us at [email protected]
A divorce mediator is a neutral third party that helps divorcing couples reach mutually agreeable resolutions to all the issues related to their divorce. Unlike a judge, who imposes decisions, a divorce mediator facilitates discussions, helping co-parents communicate more effectively and work collaboratively towards a resolution to each and every topic of discussion. This approach is particularly beneficial for creating a parenting plan for summer schedules, which tends to vary from the school-year parenting plan and often requires some flexibility and cooperation.
There are many benefits to using a divorce mediator to help you develop your summer parenting plan. The divorce mediator at Westfield Mediation, LLC, is trained to help minimize disagreements by fostering a cooperative environment. This can be especially useful when planning for the summer, a period that might involve extended vacations, camps and other special activities. A mediator can tailor an agreement to your family’s unique needs. This can ensure that summer schedules take into account the children and their needs while accommodating co-parents’ work and personal plans. Mediation sessions enhance communication between co-parents. Better communication skills can be invaluable when dealing with unexpected changes or adjustments to the summer schedule, such as travel delays or illness. A final benefit is that mediation is significantly less expensive than litigation. This allows parents to allocate more financial resources to enriching their children’s lives and summer experiences.
There are several steps to creating a summer parenting plan during the divorce mediation process. Co-parents will identify their goals and priorities. Specific time frames may need to be allocated for vacation plans, summer camps, family events or just some downtime for the kids. So, the divorce mediator can guide the co-parents to discuss their summer plans and develop a plan of action. Your plan of action can be detailed with specific dates, times and responsibilities, reducing the likelihood of future misunderstandings. Or you can have a more casual plan of action that allows for maximum flexibility. The process you develop now can carry forward for future summer plans.
There are numerous components of a summer parenting plan. The plan should clearly outline each co-parent’s vacation time with the children. Vacation time does not mean you have to go on vacation with the children. It just means you have continuous parenting time that supersedes the regularly scheduled parenting time. The day-to-day parenting time might be different in the summer compared to the school-year schedule. You may need to address daily routines, pick-up and drop-off times, and any adjustments needs for work schedules. How are the children spending their time in the summer? Are there plans for summer camps, special events or extracurricular activities? And just like during the school-year, always have a contingency plan to help manage real life situations (that dreaded traffic again) without escalating tensions. A plan on paper is great but real life always finds a way to pop up, which can mess up your plan on paper.
Creating a summer parenting plan through mediation, not only helps in crafting a solid schedule but also fosters a cooperative co-parenting relationship. By focusing on the children and maintaining open communication, which is cultivated throughout the divorce mediation process, co-parents can ensure an enjoyable summer for their children. Embracing the divorce mediation process can turn what might be a stressful, expensive, difficult process into a constructive and positive experience for the entire family.
For more information about a summer parenting plan and divorce mediation, please contact Michelle Weinberg, M.Ed., Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, at Westfield Mediation, LLC, at 908.913.0373. View our website at www.westfieldnjmediation.com or email us at [email protected]