When the school year started, chances are that you and your co-parent took proactive steps to better ensure that your children would benefit from stability and support as they pursued their academic goals. Now that the school year is underway in earnest, it is important to review your approaches and adjust them – as needed – for the benefit of your kids and your family as a whole.
For example, ask yourself whether you and your co-parent are functioning effectively as a “united front.” Are you communicating clearly about your educational goals for their children, agreeing on homework routines, attendance at school events and more? Why not? And what can you do to better ensure that your children can benefit from a solid, unwavering foundation from which to approach their school responsibilities?
Flexible, yet supportive, approaches tend to be best
Every child is unique, as is every family. As a result, what works for your friends and loved ones may not be the ideal approach for your circumstances. With that being said, organization tends to be paramount when co-parenting during the school year. If you and your co-parent are not consistently aware of the school calendar, exam dates, parent-teacher conferences, extracurricular activities and so on – perhaps by utilizing shared digital calendars and agreed-upon communication methods – misunderstandings and missed opportunities can arise.
And while structure is critical, so too is flexibility. Sometimes, unexpected projects, school trips or social events may require adjustments to your co-parenting schedule. Are you approaching these situations with a willingness to adapt while maintaining consistency for your child? Are there ways that you and your co-parent can adjust your mutual approach for everyone’s benefit?
Finally, it’s important to keep in mind that you may benefit from a formal modification to your parenting plan. Seeking legal guidance is always an option. Sometimes, it isn’t easy to see how the ins and outs of the school year will impact your family and your child until it is underway and your parenting plan may need to be modified accordingly.
