While many people focus on child custody agreements that have to do with younger children, some divorcing parties in Sugar Land have teenagers to think about. This is a difficult situation for everyone because the teens will have a greater understanding of what is going on, but they have also been living in a single home for a longer period than younger children. One positive thing about divorcing with teenage children is that they are more likely going to be able to voice their opinions.
The challenge that often comes with teens is having to figure out a schedule that works for everyone. Teenagers are often busy, with a full social schedule, making it hard to pin down parenting time plans. You also have to think about how to handle vehicle insurance for new drivers and similar factors. Add in the educational decisions, college planning for kids who want to obtain higher education, and other school-related issues and you may find yourself overwhelmed quickly.
Parenting plans for teenagers
When writing out a parenting plan for teens, you will need to be flexible so that various aspects of the child’s life can be accommodated. For some parents of teens, having to take things one month at a time or even a week at a time is necessary.
Another thing to remember when you create the parenting plan is that some rules need to span both homes. For example, the curfew might be set at the same time for both. Study or grade requirements can also be the same. This could be that the teen has to keep up specific grades if they want to participate in sports or other extracurricular activities.
Supporting your teenager
Supporting your teen through the divorce will likely take some work. Some teenagers may not want to talk about what they are going through and others will be forthcoming. You need to work with your children to ensure they have appropriate ways to let their feelings out and safe people to talk to. You should alert school officials and teachers, as well as pastors, coaches, and other trusted adults about the divorce so they can help the teen if there are signs that they are struggling.
Try to be transparent with the teenager without offering information that they don’t need to know. Often, knowing what to expect can help them to adjust to the new way of life that spans two homes.