WRITTEN BY Robin Perrigo-Mermans
Navigating Summer Manners for Co-Parenting Families
Most parents can probably agree that this summer will be unlike any other . Families nationwide will navigate how to manage life as we know it in the mid , and maybe post , COVID-19 world . All of this comes as the school year winds down , states begin to reopen , and traveling plans are executed . This is bound to make the summer months even more challenging for divorced parents and co-parents .
Through my professional career as a divorce mediation and collaborative family law attorney , I am passionate about sharing information on healthy co-parenting techniques . I often tell my clients ahead of the summer months to practice the same manners that they teach their children . I call them the “ summer manners ” of co-parenting . As a mother and stepmother , I know all too well how hard it can be to coordinate multiple schedules , transitions to homes , and plans for childcare .
For my family , my husband and I have five children under two separate parenting agreements . We ’ ve been balancing co-parenting life for over 10 years . When we started our agreements , my husband ’ s youngest son was just five years old , and all five of our children were involved in various activities and sports , day camps , and overnight camps . The chaotic schedule made coordinating pick-ups , drop-offs , and household transitions tough .
As you can imagine , our parenting plans have changed over the years . Even though it ’ s easier now that they can drive themselves , they ’ re also starting to have their own lives and plans of their own . This is especially true for our older children . My husband and I each have biological sons who just graduated from high school this year . My daughter and my husband ’ s oldest son , both in their early 20s , are in college . While they enjoyed their
Note : This feature is intended to be informational only and shall not be construed as legal advice .