Back to School Divorce Fails
It is that time of year that makes most parents happy and most kids sad, whether you’re a divorced parent or not. Summer is over. School is starting in Denton County, Texas. It is starting this week.
This time of year can be both the best of time and the worst of time, especially if you are in the middle of an ongoing divorce or recently divorced. And, some things have nothing to do with your divorce attorney. Sometimes, despite your best attempts, you might find yourself in an ugly divorce moment when emotions run high and you’re caught off guard by your soon to be ex-spouse’s behavior. Make notes, and make an appointment with your divorce attorney.
These are some of those back-to-school divorce fails to watch out for:
- The ‘Calendar Clutter’ Parent- That parent who over-schedules extracurricular activities. That parent might enroll a child in a sport or club that takes up every weekend, think traveling sports team, or a club that meets every week on a night that they aren’t with the child. Decide early on how you want to deal with this and stay confident in your position.
- The ‘Forgetful’ Parent- That parent is the one who ‘forgets’ pick up or drop off times and places. This could be normal getting back to the routine type of transition issues or it could be a bigger problem. Just keep a few notes about the issues if you’re not sure, to help you react on facts and not just emotion. If you’re this kind of parent, get a calendaring app, set alarms or reminders on your phone and do what you’re supposed to do. Everything will be better for your kids when you do what you’re supposed to do. Kids are smart. They figure out what is going on very quickly.
- The ‘It’s not me, It’s you’ Parent- That parent can be quick to dodge responsibilities and duties for your kids. It is the parent who won’t buy clothes for their child to have at their home and expects you to pack a suitcase every week, receive all the dirty clothes when the child returns and do it all over again next week. And, it can be the divorced parent who hasn’t bought clothes since last year, didn’t buy your kiddo any summer clothes and now the clothes at their house for back to school are too small. Sometimes there are very simple ways to get this back on track and change this for the better. If you are this divorced parent, it is time to step up for your kids. Get them clothes for your house, or new clothes for your house, whatever it takes. Don’t put your kids in the middle of some issue between you and their other parent.
If you have some of these issues going on, and can’t figure out what to do next, call my office today and talk with an experienced divorce attorney. An experienced divorce lawyer will be able to talk with you about some options available in your circumstances and not just the courtroom.
Jill O’Connell
940-497-5454