Once you get through your child custody and time-sharing negotiations, you probably expect your life to be much less chaotic. Some things should calm down considerably, especially if your divorce has concluded, but you still have a few challenges ahead.
One such challenge involves helping your children adjust to residing in two separate homes. Even when kids do not complain about either residence, they may not feel as at home as you and your co-parent believe. Here are some tips:
Watch your terminology
It feels natural to call the place your co-parent lives, your dad’s house, or your mom’s apartment, in discussions with your kids. Instead, try to call it your other home or something similar. When they hear you refer to both residences as home, they may feel better in both dwellings.
Let them customize
You never really feel you belong somewhere without a few personal touches. Allow your children to make decorating decisions for both homes. Most teens and preteens like having a space that reflects their personalities and are often willing to do most of the work.
Provide the necessities
To ensure your kids have what they need in both places, tell your co-parent about any items or products your children use regularly. Packing up and moving so much can get in the way of building attachments to a second residence. Revisit this topic frequently to keep up with ever-evolving childhood needs.
Often, addressing child-related comfort in both homes can prevent disputes over custody and parenting time. You might even repair a perceived flaw in your parenting plan with a simple adjustment to your kids’ living arrangements.
If your effort to foster a sense of home fails, there may indeed be a problem with your parenting plan. Prepare for this possibility by learning more about modifying child custody and parenting time orders under Florida law.