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Divorced Parents: Co-Parenting Tips before Kids go to School


Interaction after separation from a former spouse can be awkward and might lead to a little tension between the ex-couples. Divorce after marriage is complicated, especially when you have kids together. Most of the time, divorced couples usually still have children at a school age. For the sake of the kids, parents will always do their best to cooperate with each other even if they are not in good terms.

Here are some points that can be helpful in co-parenting your kids at school.

First, set aside all personal sentiments towards each other. Of course, you had or still have problems and arguments that you cannot agree about. But keeping this for the mean time and helping each other can give the kids a lighter heart by seeing their parents not fighting and reaching out to each other. Having an, even just a civil, interaction between biological and step parent s can also make things easier. A pleasant contact between spouses can help lessen the anxiety of the child with his or her peers at school. We don’t want to give the kid’s schoolmates a bad impression of his or her family.

Second, effective time management leads us to better organization. Parents can take turns in tutoring or helping the kids in their schoolwork. However, living in different houses might be a little work in terms of the adjustment of the kids. Choose a schedule that would fit in with the needs of the most. Plan ahead of time and inform one another if something comes up. If it will be the father’s time with the child but something came up, the mother can take over when the child needs help with his homework. As much as possible, give the kids the time they deserve. It is the least that can be done after the divorce. 

Third, have teamwork and communication. It can’t be avoided that some kids would react negatively towards the divorce. Communicate not just with each other but also to the child’s teachers or other parents at school. A drop in the grades of the child or other problems at school might be caused by some situations at home. It would be helpful talking to the teacher or the guidance counselor of the school so that they could assist in monitoring the child.

It is normal for these kids to feel anxious going back to school after their parents had divorce. They worry that their friends or schoolmates might judge them or bully them. Cooperate with each other and with their school personnel. Always assure them that they are not to blame and always make them feel loved.

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Mr. Hutton is a Divorce and Custody Lawyer based out of Round Rock, TX. His background is with child psychology at Arizona State University where he received a B.S. in 2006, and he continued this by working with the Children’s Right’s Clinic at the University of Texas School of Law where he received his J.D. in 2009. Throughout his practice, he has been a strong proponent of utilizing modern technology to improve his practice and the representation of his clients. He currently is the technology chair of CAFA of Travis County and is committed to improving and modernizing the practice of law in Texas. If you have any questions you can contact him at timothy.hutton@austintexaslegal.com

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