It happens every single year without fail. what at one time seemed like an endless parade of long days and poolside enjoyment has now transitioned into the reality that summer cannot last forever. All the fun, leisure activities that you and your family took part in during the summer months are going to soon be in memory. What takes their place is a realization that summer is over, and another school year is fast approaching. While most every family with children in our area he’s staring this reality down in truth the circumstances for you and your family may be quite different Dan for those of the families around you.
Specifically, if you and your family have child custody orders in place from a family court then you all need to contend with the realities that come with raising children in separate households from either parent. Just summer months in terms of visitation are unique in that you and your Co-parent see your children on a different schedule. Namely, whereas during the school year you all may become accustomed to the first, 3rd, and 5th weekends of each month visitation for the non-custodial parent the summertime sees 30 days of nearly uninterrupted possession for that parent. This can be a significant contrast and change for families such as yours.
A typical situation would be one where your child, fresh off an extended stay with his or her father at his home for July is now having to quickly transition into two a school year possession schedule. As school districts modify and change, they’re beginning dates for school this transition may come sooner than expected at least from an emotional perspective. Children tend to do better in circumstances where they can have predictability and stability. Even if you and your Co-parent have been clear with your children about what a possession schedule looks like for them now and in the future, you can only do so much to keep them aware of what is happening. After all: their children and kids tend to lose track of schedules. That is what we are here for as adults. To keep them stable and help them maximize the time that they have with either of their parents.
One of the most important aspects of school your possession is the ability for your parent and yourself to be able to have as much time with your children as possible. For today’s blog post I am going to be riding about your circumstances assuming that you have something like a standard possession order, extended standard possession order, or some possession schedule based on a standard possession order. We will do this because it is the most familiar possession of schedule 4 families in our area and one where I think there will be quite a bit of common ground among any of you reading this blog post.
The difficulty associated with Transitioning back into a school year type of possession is that while the school year fast approaches it is not as if activities for the children have come to an end. Many extracurriculars that your children may have joined during the summer we still have events and activities throughout August and even into September. Sports leagues, church activities, family get-togethers such as family reunions, and things of this nature do not suddenly come to a stop just because the middle of August rolls around. Rather, you are in a position now where you and your Co-parent need to be able to artfully maneuver between responsibilities to your children as far as easing them back into a school year schedule and putting them in a position where they can still enjoy the last few weeks of summer possession and summer activities.
In today’s blog posts from the Law Office of Bryan Fagan, we would like to share with you some tips and information on how to handle end-of-summer possession and the transitioning into a new school year. The reality is that for every family reading this blog post your life and circumstances may vary from what we are going to talk about in today’s blog post. There is nothing wrong with this and in many ways, it is to be expected. However, what you need as far as information is concerned may not be found in this blog post.
If that is what you find after reading the blog post today, then I certainly recommend that you reach out to the attorneys with the Law Office of Bryan Fagan. When you contact our office, you can arrange for a free-of-charge consultation with one of our experienced family law attorneys. Our attorneys will work with you to set up a consultation at your convenience either in person at one of our three Houston area locations, over the phone, or via video. These consultations are a great way for you to learn not only information about the world of Texas family law but how that world of Texas family law interacts with you and your family gave your specific circumstances.
Getting your kids back on track for a productive school year
When negotiating your way through a Texas child custody or divorce case when it comes to subjects related to your children it can sometimes be tempting to assume that the kids will always land on their feet and always be able to manage the difficult circumstances. We hear time and again that children are resilient and otherwise capable of handling major changes and transitions. While this may be true for some of your families for others of you the exact opposite may be true. As a result, different families need to pay attention to these transition periods with greater attention than others. When we talk about the transition from summertime visitation into schoolyear possession this is probably the most give me a forget one that you and your children will go through during the year. There is a major difference all the way around when it comes to summertime possession and school year possession.
For one, while we as adults have more predictable schedules due to work your children are likely able to take a bit of a breather during the summer due to their not having to wake up to go to school every day. As a result, their body clocks may be telling them that this summer is quite over yet even though it truly is. As a result, you can help your kids by showing them how to adjust back to a school year schedule. I can remember one thing that my mom always did with my sister and me growing up was to get us back on a schedule of waking up at an earlier hour a week or two before the school year started. This would very quickly help us to get re-acclimated to the school year routine regarding earlier hours and accountability.
Next, one of the major components of a child going back to school is the stress that doing so puts on the child’s body. By this, I don’t mean that your child is going to be nervous or pacing their room during the night before school begins. Rather, I simply mean that your child’s body will undergo natural amounts of stress because of being in a different place than they were for the entirety of the summer. Shifting back and forth in between classes, socializing with friends, participating in sports, and things of that nature may be things that your child did not engage in much during the summer. As a result, the school year may see your child go through a bit of a stressful time as he or she relearns how to perform these activities. Many children can perform this transition with ease while others take a bit more time. The older your children get the more readily you will learn what their specific needs are so that you can better anticipate them.
Overall, going back to school for many children is one of the most exciting times of the year. The summer months can be somewhat slow for some children in the school year is a welcome change to get back into their routines. However, for other children, the summer can be a welcome relief from this year if the child struggles with classes or socializing. It makes a great deal of sense for you to talk with your children about any concerns that they may have. For children who or not as willing to share their thoughts or concerns, it may be that you must work with the two open talks to you about the issues in their lives. Setting aside some quiet time for you in that child is critical.
For instance, you could have time to sit down with a child and speak to him or her about their thoughts on the school year and how the summer went. Every so often I like to do this even with my kids even though my wife and I are married. Just letting the kids talk to you in a consequence-free environment can show you a great deal as far as where their mines are headed as you begin the school year. it can mean a lot to a child for you to take the time to discuss their life with them even during a busy transition.
The differences between summer in school year possession for Texas families
Some of the major differences between the school year and summertime visitation and possession with your children all that there is simply more time in the car for your kids during the school year and there is during the summer. For example, we just finished discussing how the month of July is typically an extended period of possession for the non-primary parent. If that parent is used, then you probably had some fun experiences with your child being able to have vacations and other fun activities that you otherwise would not get during the school year. What the summertime oftentimes ends up representing for the non-primary parent is the time of year when you will be able to make up for a lost time, so to speak during the school year.
While I have never exactly sat down and calculated the time out to the day or hour, I expect that the primary conservator of children under a standard possession order probably has the kids for 55% of the time during a given year. However, during the school year that percentage shoots up to be much higher in most cases. As a result, you can expect that the school year will have you seeing your children less than you did during the summer. This in and of itself can be a major transition for parents. Additionally, you may need to work with your children to prepare them for these changes as well. You can help them to understand that even though your children will be seeing you less during the school year that doesn’t mean that you cannot still have meaningful time together. paragraph depending on the specific month that you were discussing, you and your children may be able to spend more time together than in other months. For example, the mother of August or September may find you and a physician where you can spend the first third, and 5th weekends of the month with your children.
On the other hand, in other months of the year, we’ll only have four weekends that month as a result, you will not be able to spend as much time with your kids during that time. This is an important aspect of planning and calendaring both as you transition into your post-divorce or child custody Mike as well as when you negotiate through a case in the first place. You should take the time to consider the challenges and opportunities presented to you in any possession schedule that is negotiated by you and your Co-parent. I like to spend time with clients before mediation going through each option four possession so that he or they can see the exact number of days they will be able to spend with their children. This can make a big difference as far as how you negotiate with your Co-parent in the mediation itself.
another subject that bears mention in this context is regarding working together with your coherent on temporary modifications to the position schedule based on the changing circumstances of your family. Without fail, your kids will either become ill, injured, or otherwise unable to come over for visitation periods or other events. With that in mind, it helps a great deal for you and your Co-parent to be able to work together to make temporary modifications to your possession schedule to account for these issues. It is much better for your children and for you all to be able to work these things out together as a team rather than having to rely upon a mediator or other third party to assist in facilitating those conversations.
I would recommend that you and your Co-parent speak with one another before the school year begins to discuss any concerns that you all may have regarding the upcoming school year. Being able to discuss how you are going to coordinate your efforts on schoolwork, discipline, and consistency across your homes there’s a challenge that almost every family in your position faces as you head into another school year. Your children will immediately pick up on any inconsistencies in how homework and discipline are approached in the two of your homes. If there is any way for the two of you to get on the same page as far as these subjects are concerned, then you will be in a much better position heading into the new school year.
More than anything else, it is important for you and your Co-parent to be able to have some grace with one another when it comes to handling this period Of transition. It is not always easy for children or parents to immediately snap back into attention when it comes to school year visitation and possession versus what was experienced during the summer months. If the two of you can set aside your differences and work together as a team to contribute positively to the life of your children, then you will be all better off for having done so. Something as simple as sharing an online calendar that both of you can access and edit can help to eliminate confusion and increase the dialogue the two of you have with one another period
Questions about the material contained in today’s blog post? Contact the Law Office of Bryan Fagan
If you have any questions about the material contained in today’s blog post, please do not hesitate to contact the Law Office of Bryan Fagan. Our licensed family law attorneys offer free of charge consultations in person at our three Houston area locations, over the phone, and via video. These consultations are a great way for you to learn more about the world of Texas family law as well as about how your family circumstances may be impacted by the filing of a divorce or child custody case.
Bryan Fagan, a native of Atascocita, Texas, is a dedicated family law attorney inspired by John Grisham’s “The Pelican Brief.” He is the first lawyer in his family, which includes two adopted brothers. Bryan’s commitment to family is personal and professional; he cared for his grandmother with Alzheimer’s while completing his degree and attended the South Texas College of Law at night.
Married with three children, Bryan’s personal experiences enrich his understanding of family dynamics, which is central to his legal practice. He specializes in family law, offering innovative and efficient legal services. A certified member of the College of the State Bar of Texas, Bryan is part of an elite group of legal professionals committed to ongoing education and high-level expertise.
His legal practice covers divorce, custody disputes, property disputes, adoption, paternity, and mediation. Bryan is also experienced in drafting marital property agreements. He leads a team dedicated to complex family law cases and protecting families from false CPS allegations.
Based in Houston, Bryan is active in the Houston Family Law Sector of the Houston Bar Association and various family law groups in Texas. His deep understanding of family values and his professional dedication make him a compassionate advocate for families navigating Texas family law.