Back to school planning can be stressful, and perhaps more so for two household families. Even for separated and divorced parents who have worked out how to cooperate when it comes to their kids, back to school usually brings its own set of struggles. This year is no different as families face a new back to school challenge: COVID-19. As you, your ex, and your child prepare for the upcoming school year, there are a few things you should consider.
Things to Consider for Back to School Planning During COVID
1. Review Your Parenting Agreement or Order
It is a good idea to review your custodial documents prior to the start of a new school year. For most families, these likely come in the form of a Parenting Agreement or Order. If the new school year will present new challenges (highly likely in 2020), communicate with your child’s other parent to address those challenges as quickly and effectively as possible. Each family is unique, and your Agreement or Order should reflect the circumstances you are facing. If it does not, now is the time to communicate with your co-parent and your attorney about modifications.
Revisiting your Agreement or Order now may reduce scheduling problems during the school year. Each year transporting children to and from school, arranging after school care, and coordinating the children’s schedules for extracurricular activities present challenges for many co-parents. With the introduction of COVID-19 this year, things have gotten a bit more complicated. For many families virtual learning will create new obstacles regarding your child’s schedule, especially during the other parent’s parenting time. With some students attending school one day per week or only on certain days, or even only on certain weeks, establishing a routine may prove difficult. Consider sharing an electronic calendar, such as Google calendar, with the other parent so you both are clear about where the children are and who has what responsibilities. Also, look to your Parenting Agreement or Custody Order to ensure that you are following information sharing provisions, and talk with your family law attorney about making any modification or adjustments to your Order that are beneficial in addressing your family’s new circumstances.
Additionally, be sure you are communicating with your child’s co-parent regarding school holidays and breaks. Last Spring, some parents were confused as to whether Spring Break and teacher “professional development” days and school holiday schedules outlined in their custodial documents should be followed when children were remote learning. If you have questions about this, review your custodial documents and begin conversations with your co-parent about this now. It is never too early to start planning ahead.
2. Talk to Your Kids
Many adults are concerned about health-related uncertainties resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the many changes that have been implemented in response to the virus. Whether you know it or not, children feel the impact of these changes and likely have concerns as well. Now is the time to have age-appropriate, honest conversations with your children about what to expect, especially when it comes to back to school.
There are a number of resources and articles dedicated to helping parents have conversations with children about the pandemic including information from the CDC, Mayo Clinic, Kids Health from Nemours, and PBS just to name a few.
3. School Records
In 2020, many families will be faced with remote or partially remote learning. Parents will be counted upon to communicate more with teachers regarding their student’s progress and assignments using virtual programs such as Google Classroom. It is critical that parents in two household families each have access to all school records, assignments, and platforms from which the teacher may communicate with students. Many Parenting Agreements and Custody Orders give both parents equal access to all school records, including homework assignments, school personnel contact information, report cards, progress reports, and test results. But pay special attention to any Orders and Agreements that require one parent to affirmatively provide school information and updates to the other. In those cases, it is best to overcommunicate with your child’s other parent regarding your child’s learning and school assignments and encourage your co-parent to communicate with your child’s school as well.
4. Emergency Contact Information
Speaking of communicating with your child’s school, now is the time to update your emergency contact information. If possible, both parents should be listed as emergency contacts at the child’s school, given the COVID-19 pandemic and possibility of instances of the virus at school. Parents should have a plan in place for what happens in the event that there is an outbreak at their child’s school, the child contracts the virus, and what to do if either parent contracts COVID-19.
5. Plan Ahead for Expenses
In this new age of virtual learning, school supplies and school related expenses look very different than just one year ago. What your child needs to be successful today may have changed drastically over the past several months. This year’s school supplies might include a computer, internet access, a quiet separate workspace, required software and applications for study, earphones, printer, and more. These supplies come with additional expenses that may be well beyond what was contemplated in your present child support calculation. Not only that, but both parents will need to ensure that regardless of where the child learns, the child has full access to everything they need. Planning for these expenses now and communicating with your co-parent in advance will help to ensure that your child has the tools they need to be successful this school year.
There’s an App for That
There are multiple apps, websites, and shared calendars that can be customized to fit your family’s needs. Whether you are looking for something simple and free like Google Calendar to help you plan ahead and stay on schedule, or you’re using Care.com to hire an in-home tutor (which may mean via Zoom), parents should know they don’t have to navigate the school year alone.
Everyone wants to get an “A+” when it comes to being prepared for the school year. By working with your co-parent and your attorney you can help lay the foundation for success for your children. Make sure you are reviewing your custodial documents, and communicating with your child, your co-parent and your child’s school to make sure you and your child have an amazing school year no matter where the learning takes place!
Sodoma Law Attorney David Simmons practices Family Law in Charlotte, N.C. He provides legal counsel in a variety of cases including child custody and support, divorce, and alimony. He is a member of the North Carolina Bar Association and a recipient of the 2018 Avvo Client’s Choice Award. www.sodomalaw.com
I have offered to complete virtual learning through out this school year to keep my child and intern her baby brother at our home safe , along with my new baby grandson whom lives in my exs home with my adult daughter all safe as can be , however my ex went on his usual abusive control trip needlessly out of spite he spent over approx 4000 in family court to forbid my daughters right and my right to choose virtual learning , I was offering standards progress testing the whole 9 yards , my ex and his lawyer had a judge order me force me to have my daughter attend a high risk high rate of case area small town near Kingston where the initial mass out break took place which immediately resulted in mask by law .. my ex had his lawyer convince a judge malcom in belleville court to force my child to attend public school setting just before this second lockdown proceeding the lock down the kids are scheduled to attend school which seems quite ignorant and savage as the government offices won’t even open their doors to.public but yet the government is having the public school s open doors and subject these children and their family’s ,
My exs lawyer from kaufman and associates of picton ontario and judge malcom in the belleville family court along with my own lawyer have basically allowed my ex to push this motion through illegally & told me to suck it up and move on omg , as if my joint custody is irrelevant as if my daughters health and safety is that of zero concern , these lawyers are aware my ex litetally lied on his motion in regards to his serious domestic violence charge and conviction that resulted my needing to hide in abuse shelter , there for his motion should.have been withdrawn/corrected and refiled accordingly, they these lawyers police and authority’s are also allowing my ex to breach direct serious clause in our court order ontop of force our subjecting my daughter to daily covid risk to be subject to her dads brother of which is forbidden on recent court order reason being my ex brother just got out of pen after serving 5 years for a rack of serious domestic violence convictions the man tried to kill his wife infront of the children on the Mohawk territory , there is a court order that states my daughter is not allowed around my exs brother but my lawyer is legal aid not fighting hard enough for our case I strongly feel along with my ex lawyer and the judge nor cas/mfs has not intervened they alll permitted my ex file and push through purgered affidavit knowing full welll he has a domestic violence conviction that he lied about and denied on the motion
affidavit s ,. they are failing to protect and serve my daughters best interest , I have offered the virtual learning also completion of.school lessons from home via virtual learning is what my 9 year old.daughter wants as she also fears the risk of deadly virus pandemic, but yet here we are forced into this rock and hard place due to classic candian corruption and ignorance go figure my only option at this point is to expose, petition and protest ,
in the event my daughter gets covid from the daily exposure to public school and or in the event my exs brother becomes violent to full extreme around the children again through out this my ex breaching direct clause in court order after the child services the lawyers the judge has done nothing ro prevent protect and serve hold my ex accountable for breaching the court order of course I will be sueing, though all.the comp in the world is not worth the risk and probable result they carelessly force my daughter to be subject to
.. how can this actually be possible ,?? WHY are we made to suffer this conflict this abuse of power and control with out any protection or justice ??? its so absolutely depressing, I worry so so much about my child .. no parent or child should ever be forced through what we are suffering the risk we face is needless, we are cause for infliction resulting in stats . I feel we are not people to my ex this system , just another risk resulting in stat to boost status quo . Total depiction a d definition of oppression