Flexible visitation schedules are important for teens

By |2022-04-01T13:10:41+00:0023 Oct 2018|Categories: Child Custody|

FLEXIBLE VISITATION SCHEDULES ARE IMPORTANT FOR TEENS

As a parent, you like routine. You have a set schedule during the week and you want to fit everything into it. That makes it easiest to plan.

When you get divorced and you end up with visitation rights, it is easy to set up a schedule that fits your life and then stick to it. After all, your 2-year-old does not care exactly when you spend time together. They’re always free.

When your children get older, though, you may want to rethink your schedule. For teens, flexibility is very important.

The issue is that teens have a lot of things going on, and they place great value on these things. Events may include sports, school activities or just spending time with friends. Teens have their own schedules. If you force them to fit their lives to your schedule, they won’t be pleased.

For instance, maybe you always visited your daughter at 3:30 on Wednesdays, after she got home from school. You get out of work early that day.

When she’s young, that’s fine. But what if she gets into high school and joins the volleyball team? They have practice after school every day of the week, and then they have tournaments on the weekends. Suddenly, your schedule no longer works. You’re not going to tell your daughter to skip practice just because that’s when you can see her, so you need to find ways to work around her schedule.

It’s important for parents to consider the realities of life after divorce when thinking about their child custody options. Make sure you know how to create a plan that works for your family.

About the Author:

Dorie Anne Rogers - The Law Offices of Dorie A. Rogers, APC
Dorie A. Rogers, a Family Law Specialist, Certified by the State Bar of California, has been an attorney since 1981 with an exclusive family law practice located in Orange County. She is accepting dissolution cases with support and property issues including the use of forensics to ascertain business value, community interests and to establish monthly case flow analysis. Ms. Rogers has substantial experience in high conflict custody litigation involving sophisticated psychological issues. She drafts premarital and postmarital agreement designed to define and establish parties' separate and community property interests. Paternity cases and domestic violence matters are considered part of her practice. Ms. Rogers is a court-approved and court-appointed to represent minor children.Ms. Rogers consults with individuals concerned about entering or exiting a relationship. She advises effective strategies for dissolution or premarital planning. Knowledge is power and good planning affords better results.Specialties: Family Law Specialist, Certified by the State Bar of California
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