Category Archives: Parenting

Back-to-School and Co-Parenting

Back-to-School and Co-Parenting

It might seem as though the time has flown by, but the summer holidays have ended, and autumn is right around the corner. And from the shelves overflowing with notebooks and pens to the demand for new clothes and backpacks, it is abundantly clear that it’s time for many children to head back to school. This is either fantastic or sad depending upon your perspective, however one thing is certain: it’s time to re-evaluate your boundaries, rules, and parenting arrangements with your co-parent.

Get Ready for the School Year

The new school year is a time of adjustment for many reasons. This can include your co-parenting approach, which might change according to your child’s new schedule and the new responsibilities they hold. It is important to make sure you have a good handle upon their school hours and what to expect regarding extracurricular activities. If you already have this information, make sure to share it with your co-parent so that everyone is on the same page and can work together to ensure your child’s success. You’ll also want to work out transportation details for school, extracurriculars, and parenting time in advance.

Revisit House Rules

Something else to keep in mind as the new school year dawns is that your child’s rules might change accordingly. Perhaps you have a new house rule regarding a bedtime, for example, that wasn’t in effect over the summer. It is a good idea to communicate with your co-parent to keep the rules consistent between both houses. Children benefit from structure and keeping the guidelines surrounding their personal and school lives clear from parent to parent can help them thrive.

Communicate with the School

Finally, it might be a good idea to reach out to your child’s school. Being able to speak clearly and honestly with your child’s instructor is always a good idea, and it can help them better understand your child’s needs. Keep in mind that teachers who understand the potential struggles your child might face can serve as your child’s allies by keeping an eye on them and reacting to their actions and needs proactively. This might mean calling you to discuss problem behavior or simply re-directing your child during the school day. Either way, building a positive relationship with your child’s instructors is a good idea to pursue, and one that you could embark upon with your co-parent.

For more information regarding co-parenting and the new school year, as well as how to obtain an official parenting plan, contact the professionals at Abear Law Office today!

Problems with Children and Parenting Time

During the long Thanksgiving weekend, families often have plans to spend time together—go bowling, shop at a local mall, eat at a restaurant, etc. Yet when a couple is divorced, there may be days when one parent desires to see his or her children but the children do not have the option to stay with him or her due to the divorced couple’s parenting plan.

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Parental Responsibilities and Parenting Time in Illinois

For nearly two years now, the terms “parental responsibilities” and “parenting time” have been used in place of the terms “child custody” and “visitation.” Illinois family laws were updated in January 2016 to better recognize and support children’s rights, encourage a healthier relationship between parents and children, and ensure more positive parental decision-making.

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How Children Feel after a Divorce

Researchers have used everything from control groups to cohort data to determine the ways that divorce impacts children. Because of their work, society now has a better understanding of the risks, potential pitfalls, and behavioral issues that might occur in children during and after divorce. Their work has also paved a path for divorcing couples, ensuring they have an idea of how to reduce the risk of an adverse effect on their child. However, it was only recently that anyone looked at individual children to determine how they felt about the divorce process.

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Exercising Your Right of First Refusal

When a couple who has children together decides to get divorced, they will need to develop a parenting plan. A parenting plan is a document which outlines each parent’s rights and responsibilities regarding the child and serves as the cornerstone on which the couple’s ongoing co-parenting relationships will be built. According to Illinois law there are more than a dozen considerations that must be addressed in a parenting plan including things like the child’s permanent address for the purposes of school enrollment and a parenting time schedule for each parent. There are other, optional elements that can be included in a parenting plan as well, including the right of first refusal. If your parenting plan provides you with the right of first refusal, it is important to understand what that means.

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Modifying Your Parenting Plan in Illinois

While there are specified time limits on how often you can modify your allocation of parental responsibilities under Illinois law, there are several exceptions to these limits. Since circumstances concerning children change over time, the allocation of parental responsibilities also is likely to change over time. In some cases, however, parents cannot agree on how or whether to change the existing allocation of parental responsibilities, which requires the court to make a decision on the issue for the parties, often with the help of a guardian ad litem or another professional who can make recommendations to the court.

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Tips for Healthy Co-Parenting

Being a parent is tough. Add divorce into the mix and things can become even more complicated. With parenting plans, child support, and custody issues to deal with, co-parenting can be stressful and challenging at times. It is a lot to handle, but millions of families successfully co-parent each year. How do they do it? Great co-parents are flexible, willing to set aside their differences, and most importantly, great co-parents put their children’s needs above their own. Below, check out a few tips to help you and your ex develop a healthy co-parenting relationship both you and your children will appreciate.

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After Divorce: Co-Parenting into a New School Year

Walk through any department store in the country and the reminders are everywhere. With ubiquitous commercials shouting from the television and printed circulars filling the mailbox, it seems the specials and sales start increasingly earlier every year. Yet somehow, the approach of a new school year still manages to sneak up on many families. Back-to-school season can present challenges to any family, but for parents who have gone through a divorce, there is much more to consider for their children as they start school this fall.

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Co-Parents: Common Mistakes Divorced Parents Make and How to Avoid Them

Many divorced parent can attest that their divorce was a difficult process. Even the most amicable situations still carry a level of stress and distrust between spouses, and often, the total upheaval of the life of their children. During a divorce, feelings of bitterness and betrayal are frequently most acute, and their effects may last for months and years. For divorcing parents, who now have to co-parent, it is extremely important to avoid projecting such emotions onto the children, regardless of intention.

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