The summer months are meant to be fun, exciting, and relaxing for families. Unfortunately, divorced parents may find that the summer months bring on additional stresses. After all, most co-parenting (or custody) plans differ during the summer months. Fortunately, you can make sure summer is fun and stress-free by being proactive. Before the warmer months of summer arrive, be sure to follow these three tips.

1. Create a Plan

If you don't already have a parenting plan in place for summer, do it now. Sit down with your co-parent and a mediator if necessary to discuss summer arrangements. You should discuss how often the children will switch homes. While children often switch homes weekly during the school year, parents may wish to switch the schedule and frequency during the summer months.

In addition to discussing regular schedule changes, you should also discuss any big plans. Will there be vacations involved? If so, make sure that you coordinate dates so that your children do not have to pick and choose. Ideally, your children should be able to attend both vacations.

Finally, make sure to discuss any big events that may occur. Weddings, birthday parties, and family gatherings may all take place during the summer months. If there are any events that are particularly important for you and your children, discuss them now. This will prevent any issues or parenting plan changes during the summer months.

2. Discuss Costs

You should also take some time to discuss the costs of summer. During the summer, children often want to do a lot of activities. Unfortunately, this can get quite expensive. If you cannot afford summer camp or classes, discuss these with your co-parent. You may able to share the costs of these activities to ensure that your child has a fun and rewarding summer experience.

3. Keep Communication Lines Open

Finally, make sure that you keep communication open with your co-parent. If this is difficult to do personally, consider getting help from technology. A shared calendar app can help keep both parents on the same page. It can be used to track your summer schedule. However, it can also be used to notify the other parent of an unexpected change. For example, extended family randomly coming into town. Download the app, use it daily, and always keep the communication lines as open as possible.

Co-parenting can be difficult, especially during the summer months. Schedule changes, vacations, and family needs can make summertime more difficult than fun. However, it doesn't have to be that way. With these tips and a skilled family law attorney, you can ensure that summer is fun – and not stressful. Visit a site like http://www.kalkwarflaw.com for  more help.

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