Children often worry about what’s going to change in their life when they’re going through a divorce between their parents. While there will certainly be some changes, the children’s extracurricular activities shouldn’t have to change.
Coming up with a plan with your ex to ensure the kids can keep doing their favorite activities, such as dance, sports or math club, is important so both parents know what they’re responsible for. Considering these points may help to make planning for this new phase in life much easier.
1. Designate a sign-up parent
It may be easier to always have the same parent handle signing up the children for activities. This minimizes the risk of failure to sign up because each parent thinks the other one signed the kids up.
2. Outline how costs and fees are handled
Most extracurricular activities have fees and costs associated with them. Take the time to outline who will take care of those fees. If they will be split between parents, terms for reimbursement should be included in the parenting plan.
3. Schedule transportation
Getting the kids to the practices and other events for the activity is important. Having a solid plan for this can help to remove the stress for everyone involved. It may behoove you to include requirements for letting each other know about important dates and events, such as games, competitions and award ceremonies.
Making sure you have the parenting plan in place can help to make these situations much easier. Ensure you have terms for extracurricular activities in the plan. Everything should be based on what the kids need now. As time progresses, you can modify the plan due to changes in those needs.
