Much has been written about children and divorce. Divorcing or divorced parents of college-aged students may underestimate how this change in family circumstance affects their offspring. College students are not “immune” from effects of changes within the family unit, parents’ behaviors and expectations, or uncertainty regarding where they belong in their family post divorce. The apprehension surrounding this “new normal” can leave a young adult feeling out of sorts and emotionally … [Read more...]
Co-Parents: 10 Tips to Keep It Cool When It’s Hot Out
Summer co-parenting can be challenging; when the temperature gets hotter, here's how to stay cool. As the summer heats up, sometimes co-parenting can be emotionally charged for all parties, so it can be easy to let anger get the best of you. While being angry is acceptable and natural and you may have no control over how you perceive the actions of your co-parent, you are most certainly responsible for how you respond. Here is a quick list of suggestions on how to deal with a heated … [Read more...]
Summer Parenting Time (and its Impact on Kids)
When parents get divorced, they need to think about how to handle summer parenting time as well as parenting time during the school year – for their kids' sakes. When divorced parents think about their schedules with their children, they often focus on what happens during the school year. For some parents, the standard parenting time in the Family Code – or the expanded version of it – works well for their family. Other families aim for a 50-50 schedule, often using a week on/week off … [Read more...]
Summer Co-Parenting: Factor in Emotions
Former Collaborative Law Institute of Texas president Syd Sharples provides terrific advice for co-parenting in summer in Austin Family -- based on earlier work she's done on this blog, she's just published an article giving divorced parents tips for how to navigate summer schedules and activities. As she notes in the article, summer can be a wonderful time for parents because, with the structure of the school year taken away, it allows each parent longer stretches of time to spend with their … [Read more...]
Summer Vacations After Divorce: Communication The Key to Curing the Summertime Blues
This article is from Syd Sharples, LCSW, the current president of The Collaborative Law Institute of Texas and an Austin-based psychotherapist and collaborative divorce facilitator. Summers introduce a new rhythm to family life. Children are home from school, many parents must schedule child care, and families might plan vacations. For some families, summer vacation and the family time it brings is a source of excitement; for others, figuring out how to keep the kids engaged and out of … [Read more...]
