If you decide to use mediation to resolve your child custody situation with your ex, remember that you need to create a plan that works all year around. For you, as an adult, your work schedule may look the same every week of the year, so it’s easy to plan something that fits. However, children have roughly 100 days for summer break, and you must have a plan that addresses that.
One thing to remember is that it does not help to have a vague plan. Something that says, for instance, that you both get to take the kids on a vacation at some point but does not specify:
- When you can do it
- How much advance notice you need to give
- If you need to tell the other parent where you’re going
- How long the trip can be
- When and where to pick up/drop off the children
It’s tempting to leave things vague because you may not have summer plans set in stone yet, but you leave the door open to a lot of conflict. What if you both plan a trip at the same time? Who has to cancel theirs? What if you show up to pick up the kids and your ex had no idea you were leaving? What if you leave with them, thinking it’s fine, and then get an angry phone call from your ex demanding to know where you are and insinuating that you kidnapped your own children?
These things do happen, and that’s why you need to work hard to create a set plan in advance. You can do this in mediation when you know what steps to take.