With back-to-school season in New Jersey preparations in full swing now that the latter half of August has arrived, your children may be bemoaning the loss of sleeping in and lazy days while you may be nervous about other things. If you and your spouse have separated or divorced since the prior school year ended, this year’s back-to-school experience is likely to be quite different from past ones. Fortunately, there are some things you can do to prepare yourself and your children’s other parent as well.
As explained by The Washington Post, school systems still seem very setup to accommodate the traditional nuclear family first and foremost. That leaves divorced families left trying to fit into something that does not always work for them. If you have been through the back-to-school time before, think about what you know you will need to provide the school and what events will be coming up. Then, make a plan with your former spouse.
You are likely to have a list that includes who will sign permission slips, how you will share information on your children’s progress in class, when events such as back-to-school night or parent teacher conferences will be held. If you both cannot attend events together, discuss how to best communicate information to the parent who was not present so you are both involved in your children’s lives.
This information is not intended to provide legal advice but is instead meant to help divorcing or divorced parents in New Jersey find ways to navigate the back-to-school season free of unnecessary stress due to their new status as single parents.