Summer is coming to an end, and that means kids are headed back to school for another year. However, if your family has gone through a divorce, the new school year will be different from those in the past. With both parents living separately, schedules will change and there will no doubt be a lot of uncertainty and mystery that can cause a lot of anxiety for children. To make this transition easier and less stressful for your kids, let’s take a look at a few things you can do to help them adapt to their new circumstances.
Respect Your Kids
It’s easy for parents to lose sight of their children’s needs, especially when going through a contentious divorce. Remember that your kids also feel the pain of a family split, and more often than not they just want things to go back to normal again. When the time comes to send kids back to school, you should do everything you can to remain respectful of their needs and provide them with a supportive home environment that resembles normal as much as possible.
Be Upfront About Schedules
Divorce involves change, and the normal schedule of life is arguably the largest of these changes. It might be difficult for your kids to adjust to when they get to see each parent, when they go to and are picked up from school, and what activities they partake in each day, which can lead to uncertainty and stress. One of the best things you can do for your kids is to be upfront about what they’ll be doing. Likewise, do your best to also listen to what they want and try to allow them time to do these things as well.
Be Involved In Your Kids Education
As a parent, it’s your responsibility to be involved with your kids’ schooling and make sure they’re keeping up with expectations. Make sure the teacher has both parents’ contact information and can reach out to both when issues arise, such as illness or poor performance in school. This goes both ways: not only does it allow both parents to be involved and know what’s going on with their kids, but it also allows your child’s teacher to understand what’s going on at home. Teachers deal with kids in divorced homes fairly frequently, so they’re often more understanding when certain circumstances arise (such as leaving a book at one parent’s house on accident while staying with the other). If you’re in need of assistance with the legal side of divorce, including litigating or negotiating the terms, or even modifying your parenting plan to include new visitation schedules for the school year, make sure you have a Birmingham divorce attorney on your side. Call Gossman Law Firm, LLC, today at 205-498-7455 to request a case evaluation.