One of the most challenging things for parents who have gone through a divorce and share children is continuing to raise the kids together. Children will have to become accustomed to moving from one home to the other.
Transition days can be stressful for the children, so it’s up to the parents to ensure they do what they can to keep that stress down. This can create a low-key day that gives the children a chance to adjust from one home to the other.
Plan for transportation
Transportation from one parent’s house to the other parent’s house is one of the cornerstones of transition days. Sometimes, the parents will need to meet at a neutral spot, so the time for the meeting is critical. If the child will go directly from home to home without meeting at a neutral spot, it may be best for the parent who has the child to bring them to the other parent’s house. This is a good chance for the child to decompress and get ready for the transition.
Limit communication at the meeting
Moving from one house to the other is stressful enough for the children, so parents shouldn’t do things that can add to that stress. One way to keep the stress down is to limit communication to only neutral topics at the transition. Anything contentious should be saved until the children aren’t present.
Having the terms of transition days included in the parenting plan can make this easier for everyone. It may be best to work with someone familiar with these matters to ensure everything necessary is covered in the plan.