For most students in the Columbus area, the school year is almost over. Summer break is just a couple of weeks away. If their parents are divorced or otherwise not living together, they hopefully have a child custody plan that takes this shift in the child’s schedule into account.
Your custody schedule might work well during the school year but be impractical or unfair during the summer. For example, one parent might have had the majority of parenting time during the fall, winter and spring because they live much closer to the children’s school than the other parent. The other parent likely would want more time with the kids in the summer to make up for that.
Things to consider
Other things to consider when setting up how your custody plan will work in the summertime:
- Changes in the child’s schedule. How will they spend the summer?
- Changes in each parent’s availability. Will they have more or less time to care for the children?
- Will drop-offs change in the summer?
- For younger kids, what will their child-care needs be? Who will watch them during the day?
Every child’s needs are unique, but their best interests are the most important standard for any parenting plan in Ohio. A well-crafted plan acknowledges that a single arrangement might not work perfectly year-round. You can anticipate this by working out a plan that changes with the seasons as necessary. For example, you and your co-parent might switch from an every-other-week arrangement to switching off every two weeks. Or a parent who only has custody on weekends during the school year might get a full month in July or August. Whatever works for your kids and you can help make your summers run smoothly.