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4 things to remember about child custody during the summer

On Behalf of | Jan 15, 2025 | Family Law

The summer months are often filled with fun and activity for children. Parents often plan vacations, summer camps and other events for the children to take part in. While this is probably not too stressful for parents who are still in a relationship, things can be complicated if they’re no longer together. 

Summertime comes with some specific challenges because the children are out of school. Using these four tips may be beneficial for parents in this position. 

1. Check the parenting time schedule

The parenting plan should have the parenting time schedule in it. Knowing this schedule can make it easier to make other plans for the summer because both parents will know when the children will be with them. 

2. Plan the vacation carefully

Parents who are going to take a summer vacation with their children should try to plan it as soon as possible. There should be guidelines in the parenting plan about what’s required for vacations. Understanding those can help both parents to ensure compliance. At a minimum, there should likely be communication about the dates and destination so both parents know what’s going on.

3. Get childcare in order

If the children need to have childcare during the summer months, it’s typically best to get this together before the pre-summer rush starts. Parents who wait too close to summer to try to find a daycare, camp, babysitter or nanny may find that there aren’t any good options remaining. If both parents live close to each other, they may consider obtaining care for the entire summer and splitting the cost based on when the child will be with each parent. 

4. Set the plan for communication 

Communication with the other parent is critical. If the children need assistance with communicating, the plan for this should be set before the vacation or transition from one parent’s home to the other parent’s home. 

The parenting plan and being willing to cooperate are the keys to making parenting after divorce possible. Ensuring that everything is set up in a way that puts the child’s interests first may require the assistance of someone familiar with these matters.