One of the hardest things for Texas parents to get used to after a divorce is sharing child custody with their ex-spouse. When the children are with your ex, the house may feel quiet or lonely. Parents who once were able to see their children every morning might have to wait until their child custody arrangement dictates that can be with their children again. Understandably, this can be a difficult transition; however, there are several things parents can do to ease what can often become a tumultuous issue.
One idea that Texas parents might consider is to send messages to their children, so that their children know that they are thinking of them. While communication can be easily done through phone calls or Skype, random tokens of affection in the form of a letter or small gift can help you stay connected to your children even when you’re not physically together. To children, these gestures show them that they haven’t been forgotten.
Also, when calling up to speak with children as per custody arrangements, be respectful of their time. As the children grow older, their schedules may change, and what used to be a convenient time may no longer be. For example, toddlers may not be able to do late-night talks with the parents, whereas teenagers might prefer late phone calls so they don’t interfere with school work or extracurricular activities. Because of this, it is important to re-adapt schedules from time to time in order to ensure that the time spent with the child is meaningful.
There are many challenges to face when adjusting to a child custody arrangement. However, these challenges are not impossible to overcome. The main consideration is, as always, that the children should feel loved and remembered by their parents, even though the parent might be in a different home. By opening lines of communication and cultivating these kinds of relationship with your children, you can help your children, and even yourself, work through the various challenges that come with divorce.
Source: Huffington Post, “Sharing Custody of My Child: What Do I Do?” Ann Blumenthal Jacobs, Patricia Lampl and Tish Rabe, June 11, 2012