Parenting Plan Agreement: 6 Things to Include
Separating or divorcing your child’s other partner doesn’t mean neglecting your children. You need to figure out how to co-parent even after changing your relationship status. After separation, most people no longer share a household, and spending time with children becomes challenging. That’s why parenting plan agreements in Alberta are becoming popular.
The plan should be specific enough to offer clear guidance. This prevents disputes between parents, leading to smooth parenting.
6 Things to Include in a Parenting Plan
It’s practically a conclusion that a parenting plan should specify how parents share legal and physical custody. Here are essential provisions to factor in.
1. Vacations and Holidays
Having a regular parental visitation schedule is a common thing. However, memories are made during vacations, holidays, and special events like birthdays. How you schedule these special occasions depends on your family culture. Vacation schedules are about allowing your children to participate in fun activities with extended families.
2. Exposure to Screen and Technology
Living separately means having different rules in your home. However, it’s advisable to stay consistent, especially regarding technology and screen time. It can be frustrating if one parent advocates for limited screen time while the other partner has no restrictions.
It’s also an issue when one parent allows children to have smartphones with unlimited internet access. In such a situation, mediation can help parents walk on the same page concerning technology, devices, and exposure to the internet.
3. Vaccinations
Parents should make a medical decision about when and why their children need vaccines. Some schools require children to get vaccinated, while some decisions come from parents. For example, human papillomavirus (HPV) depends on parents’ decisions. Parents should also decide when a child is old enough to make their decisions.
4. Communication
Communication makes it easy to navigate parenting. However, you should specify how little or how much you want to communicate. You wouldn’t want the other parent blowing your phone with endless calls at ungodly hours. It’s essential to document communications and create boundaries.
Choose means of communication, like calls or messages. For example, you can limit calls to only during the day and not send messages late at night unless there’s an emergency.
5. Introduction of a New Partner
After some time, one or both parents will have new romantic partners in their lives. But before that happens, it’s helpful to agree on how and when a new partner will be introduced. The common point of contention is when the new partner sleeps at home while the child is there.
6. College Fee
Normally, child support ends before children join college. However, both parents need to help their children pursue higher education. A good parenting plan establishes how the child’s tuition, board, travel, and other college expenses will be met.
Wrapping Up
Life is long and needs support from both parents for easy navigation even when the situations change. These provisions are some of the many issues to include in a parenting plan. Remember, every family is unique; what worked for other parents might not work for you. You can always modify the plan to suit the situations of both parents while ensuring the children get the best out of it.