Parents want more time with their children. This is especially true in divorce or custody situations. Courts will outline minimum time sharing plans in parenting plans and final decrees. Often these plans leave parents frustrated and confused. Here are three creative ways you can get more time with your child that won’t violate your parenting plan. The caveat here is that if your parenting plan or final decree has restrictions or qualifications on these creative methods then your parenting plan trumps everything. So…read your plan carefully.
Creative Idea #1: Volunteer at School. This isn’t always easy for parents due to work schedules. However, if you have flexibility in your schedule then go and volunteer at your child’s school. Depending on the age of your child you may volunteer to read books to the class or volunteer in the office or in some other fashion. If you are really tight on time then your volunteer activities may be limited to special occasions such as field trips or guest speakers. Any way you slice it volunteering at school can help you see your child more often outside of the conflict of the divorce or custody case.
Creative idea #2: Go to Appointments. Make sure you include yourself on doctor and dentist forms of contact. This way you can be notified when your child has an appointment. Then when the appointment is scheduled make sure you go. The time with the doctor or dentist isn’t as quality time as a traditional visit but at least you show your child how much you care and you get to be involved in an important aspect of their lives. Additionally, make sure you are notified of parent/teacher conferences so you can attend those as well. The more involved the more you see your child!
Creative idea #3: Volunteer at activities. Similar to #1, getting involved in your child’s team or activity will allow you to share in the fun they get from being involved in extracurricular activities. Maybe consider volunteering to be the assistant coach. Be the team parent. Take an active role and you will ensure yourself more time with your child.
None of these ideas take the place of traditional time sharing. However, when you are looking to increase time these are a few ideas that you can use to see your child, let your child know how much you care and position yourself in the eyes of the court. If you want more time sharing with your child contact the child custody experts at the Justice Legal Group by calling 505-880-8737 or by emailing us at info@JusticeLegalGroup.com.