A parenting plan provides an outline for how you and your ex-spouse will parent your child after your divorce. This document is crucial to prevent conflicts and to also ensure your child receives quality care.
As illustrated by Psychology Today, parenting plans must include certain information. The following are a few helpful points to include for an efficient, effective parenting approach.
Detailed scheduling information
The more comprehensive the information included the better off you are. Explicitly list when you will have your child and when your ex-spouse will. Establish a plan for summer vacations and holidays, such as Thanksgiving and Christmas. You should also include information on handling missed visits. For example, perhaps the parent can make up the visit at a later date, or they might need to wait until their next scheduled visit.
Guidance on communication
Communication is a crucial aspect of parenting. Setting some ground rules is beneficial, especially if your divorce was contentious. You can schedule call times, during which your child can speak with the other parent. This also prevents one parent from intentionally disrupting the other’s visitation time with repeated calls. You can also set rules regarding other types of communication, such as texting and email.
Rules regarding medical and educational decisions
In addition to deciding where your child resides, your parenting plan can also include information on the decision-making process. For example, perhaps you and your spouse can share in decisions equally. Or maybe one spouse will have authority when it comes to things like schooling or healthcare. Because there is a lot at stake when it comes to these decisions, having a strategy in place is in the best interest of your child.
Keep in mind flexibility is also important. Issues are bound to arise, and remaining flexible ensures you can navigate them to the best of your ability.
