Create A Home Base
What this actually means is that you define which home your children will go to every day after school and where they will spend the majority of their days during the summer. The reason this can be helpful is that it provides consistency for the children on a daily basis…as well as for their friends…to […]
Co-Parenting
The goal as you are going through your divorce is to try to continue a co-parenting relationship with your ex-husband that focuses on your children…as you will be co-parenting with him for years to come. One important point in terms of co-parenting is to always try to back each other up…when it comes to decisions […]
Creating Two Homes
Wherever your children are staying should feel like their home. If there is way to have familiar family mementos at both homes (e.g. family photos or children’s artwork) at both locations, it helps each house to truly feel like “home” for your children.
Entering Each Other’s Homes
It is helpful to define how you want to handle entering each other’s homes…such as when your children need something from the home. If your children are young, then you may need to help them in collecting items…if the other parent is not home. Obviously, older children can go in and get what they need […]
Outline Parenting Plan Together
This outlines how you will jointly manage your children’s lives…which is helpful because it becomes the point of reference if there is ever a debate or disagreement relating to decisions you have made about your children during the divorce process.
Parenting Approach
There are a wide range of points to think through relating to your parenting approach. If you can define and align these points up front, it can help to maintain a consistent approach to parenting your children in both homes.
Messages Between Parents
It can be helpful to figure out with your ex-husband how you want to handle going through the laundry list of points that you may need to discuss regarding your children. This could be a weekly or monthly call (or e-mail). Either way could work…the focus should be on ensuring you are communicating (and discussing […]
Create a Family Calendar
When trying to manage your children’s lives across two households it is helpful to keep one family calendar that both parents (and nanny if one is involved in your children’s lives) can view and manage as needed. With an online shared calendar, each parent can work off the same understanding of where the children are […]
Name Change Decisions
After your divorce, you will have to make a choice about changing your name. The name change decision is a very personal one – whether to change your name back to your maiden name (if you changed your name when you got married) or you choose to keep your ex-husband’s name. If you are considering […]
Take Care of Yourself
It is important to put yourself first. The only way to give support to your children throughout the divorce process is to ensure you also take care of yourself whether it is eating well, working out, or getting enough sleep. All of these are important to keep your body running, so you can be there […]