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School is out and divorced parents are working out their plans for summer child custody. The Texas Standard Possession order provides for the non-primary parent to spend 30 days during the summer with the children if the parent lives within 100 miles of the children’s primary residence.
For parents who missed the April 1 deadline for submitting a request to the court to have their children on certain days, the fallback time the court designates for the children to be with the non-primary parent is from July 1 to 31.
Non-Primary Parent: Summer Child Custody
If you are the non-primary parent, whether your children will visit 30 consecutive days during the summer, or a total of 30 days that are broken up into chunks, you need to plan for their stay. Ideally, this is a time you can take off work to be with them.
Plan a trip with the children. Go somewhere they have never been before or go back to a favorite place they want to visit again. Do something that you will remember for a long time. You and your children can all look back on the summer as a special time you shared together.
Capture your memories with photos or videos. It is so easy to take videos with our smartphones. Pictures can also be used, if necessary, in case you end up back in court with your ex.
Primary Parent: When the Children are Away
If you are the primary parent, you may experience a void when your children are away from home for an extended period. Even though you may be sad to see them leave, don’t make it difficult for them to go see the other parent. Encourage the relationship and encourage them to have a good time.
You can arrange to communicate with them while they are gone. Perhaps you can call or text them at bedtime to say good night, but try not interfere with the time they are spending with the other parent by trying to monopolize their time on the phone with you.
This is a good time to practice self-care. Get a massage. Take a foreign language or art class, or watch a YouTube instruction on any topic that interests you. Go to concerts in the park. Make this a time to do things for yourself that you might not otherwise have time for when the children are at home.
For More Information About Divorce, Contact an Experienced Dallas Family Law Attorney.
To schedule a free initial consultation with a Dallas Family Law Attorney, contact Paula Lock Smyth Law Offices at 214-420-1800.