If you’ve recently gone through a divorce, and this is your first school year as a divorced parent— it can be hard to navigate. From homework, pick-up, drop-off, extracurriculars, parent nights, and beyond— how do you manage it all as a newly divorced parent? This is a challenging time of year in many ways. However, if you can conquer co-parenting curriculum, you’ll have one less thing to worry about.
Co-Parenting Curriculum: Tips for a Successful School Year
First things first, we suggest setting a parenting plan early on in the divorce. By setting a parenting plan, you can account for holidays, back to school, birthdays, and any other events you’ll run into over the year. Of course, some flexibility is required when something comes up. But, it’s a good basis to put together, and keep your mind off of. As your kids get back to school, and you start navigating this as two separate parents, rather than a unity— you’ll have to communicate well.
Communication
Your child and their education is a number one priority. However, it’s not uncommon that grades will slip after a divorce. So, make helping your child prosper part of the co-parenting curriculum. Put those personal issues aside and focus on the common goal— your child. Have a safe space for you two to discuss important things, such as an email chain, or a planner that goes back and forth with your child.
Parent-teacher conferences
One issue you might run into are parent-teacher conferences. These conferences typically require both parents to be there, especially when you’re running separate households. As newly divorced parents, this can be a difficult thing to do. However the most important part of your co-parenting curriculum, is being on the same page with your co-parent. Therefore, it’s important that you both attend together. Of course, if you have a strong co-parenting relationship with your former spouse, and trust them to tell you whatever you need to know— so be it.
Create a common homework schedule
Lastly, when it comes to your co-parenting curriculum, make a common schedule your priority in terms of school work and responsibility. You don’t want to have to deal with the back and forth of: ‘Mom/Dad said I can watch TV first…’ If you want to handle homework without stress or argument, keep a uniformed system. The key to successful schooling post-divorce, is to keep a uniformed system, communicate, and stay involved as a unit.
