Important Things to Think About When Creating a Summer Parenting Plan

 Posted on May 28, 2021 in Child Custody

With June just right around the corner, the days have been getting longer and sunnier as summer encroaches upon Illinois. For many people, summer is a time when things begin to slow down which allows you to spend more time with your family. For parents who are divorced or no longer together, however, summer can be a source of stress. The change in pace and in schedules can be nice, but it can also lead to confusion if your parenting plan does not describe your summer parenting schedule in detail. Ensuring your parenting plan contains information about summer vacation can help save you from major stress in the long run.

Preparing Your Summer Parenting Plan

There are various elements that must be included in any parenting plan when it is created. Usually, there is some form of basic summer planning done and included in your parenting plan, but basic terms can leave room for confusion. Depending on when you first entered into your parenting agreement, it may also need to be updated to accommodate your current circumstances. Summer is coming quickly, so now is the time to review your parenting plan. Here are a few things to keep in mind when planning for summer co-parenting:

• Discuss your parenting time schedule with your ex. First, you should talk with your ex and determine whether or not a change in your current schedule is needed. Summer often brings changes in the parenting time schedule to allow the parent with the least amount of parenting time during the school year to have more time with the child. Other parents may choose to keep the parenting time schedule the same and adjust other schedules to suit it.

• Discuss summer childcare. Since your children are not in school, this means there is a decent chunk of their day that is now unaccounted for. You should discuss this with your ex and determine if childcare is needed during the day. If you do need to increase the amount of time they are with a care provider, you should also discuss the increase in cost and determine how you will split it.

• Remember to include summer holidays. Parenting plans often contain provisions about major holidays, like Christmas and Easter, but they may not include smaller ones. There are various holidays during the summer months that you should keep in mind, such as Memorial Day, Independence Day, Father’s Day, and Labor Day. Discuss with your ex how or if any of these holidays will affect your parenting plan.

• Communicate about any vacations you want to take the children on. Summer often means it is time for traveling and vacation. You should make sure your parenting plan includes guidelines for how you and your ex are to handle taking a vacation with your child. You should also be open and communicate with your ex about your travel plans and whether or not you might need to adjust the parenting time schedule.

Our DuPage County Parenting Plan Attorneys Can Help

Creating a summer parenting plan often means that you end up needing to make modifications to your existing parenting plan. At The Stogsdill Law Firm, P.C., our team of knowledgeable Wheaton, IL parenting plan lawyers can help you restructure your plan into something that works for your current needs. To get started discussing your parenting plan, call our office today at 630-462-9500 to schedule a consultation.

Sources:

https://www.ourfamilywizard.com/blog/considerations-summer-coparenting-plan

https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs4.asp?DocName=075000050HPt%2E+VI&ActID=2086&ChapterID=59&SeqStart=8600000&SeqEnd=12200000