Summer Vacation Ideas for Divorced ParentsThe following article talks about summer vacation ideas for divorced or separated parents. It will give you ideas to make the lazy days of summer less stressful and more fun for both you and your children. Keeping Summer Vacation Fun Kids wait all year for summer vacation. But when parents are divorced or
separated, summer vacation becomes more complicated. Kids look forward to long
days with their friends doing nothing. When they have a parenting schedule to
live with, summer loses some of its fun. Your child needs to spend time with
both parents - that's a given. So how do you keep the parenting schedule from
messing up your child's summer dreams? Plan around it If you and your child dream of lazy days at the beach or
crazy afternoons at an amusement park, plan your family's schedule around the
parenting schedule. Try to work, clean the house, or do volunteer work while
your child is with the other parent. Save the big events for days when your
child is with you. If you have children and step children with conflicting
schedules, talk with both sets of parents and look for a way to make adjustments
so that you can all have family time together once in a while. Welcome friends One of the biggest concerns kids have about schedule
is not being able to see their friends. Make it clear friends are welcome at
your home anytime. If you're the non-custodial parent, go the extra step and
offer to drive the friends (who probably live near your child's other home) to
your home. Make other plans Whether you're the custodial or non-custodial parent, it's
impossible to be with your child the entire time he or she is at your house.
Look for alternatives that will keep your child happy and occupied while you're
busy. Look for a class or day camp that ties into his or her interests - zoo
camp, art camp, soccer camp - the choices are huge. Planning this activity will
give your child something to do and will ease any guilt you might feel (you
shouldn't!) about not being completely available. Think of yourself Be sure to plan some adult fun for the days your child is
away. You're supposed to enjoy the summer too and those days on your own are the
perfect times to explore new places, meet people, and expand your own horizons. Remember what it's like to be a kid There were plenty of times when your
idea of a good time was sleeping till noon, spending 4 hours in front of the tv,
or plugging yourself into a video game. The same probably holds true for your
child. Let him or her have time to just veg. You don't need to plan excursions
and events every time your child is at your home. Let there be time for just being a kid. Relax Stop pressuring yourself to create the perfect summer for your child. If you look back you probably will find that your favorite summer memories are of small, everyday things. You're not a cruise director; you're a parent. There's a lot to be said for quiet dinners on the porch, picnics in the backyard, ice cream cones on a hot night, and fun in the sprinkler together. Top of Summer Vacation Ideas page This is part of a column called Parental Guidance "Everything You Need to Know for Parenting Together Apart" by Brette McWhorter Sember, a retired family attorney and mediator and nationally known expert about divorce and parenting after divorce. She is the author of The Visitation Handbook: Your Complete Guide to Parenting Apart, The Divorce Organizer and Planner, and many other titles. Summer Visitation Tips Divorce Home / Articles / Divorce
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