Packing For Your Child Custody Transfers
Parents who have decided to separate or divorce will need to learn to co-parent effectively, which will include helping their children adjust to living in two separate households. Besides the emotional implications of making this change, parents will also need to come up with a plan for the realities of transferring physical custody when their designated parenting times end. These transfers could, for instance, require meeting at a predetermined custody transfer site, or dropping off the children at the other parent’s home. Parents will also need to ensure that they properly pack for their child’s visit.
What to Send with Your Kids
As a parent, you’ll need to make sure that your kids take necessary items when they leave your home to visit their other parent. It’s important to pack essential items, including:
- Medication and medical equipment;
- Homework, school projects, and permission slips;
- School uniforms and books; and
- Smartphones, tablets, and other electronic devices.
It’s also a good idea to pack comfort objects, like a security blanket or a favorite stuffed animal, which can make the emotional aspects of the post-divorce transition a bit easier for the children. To ensure that your child is ready to go when it’s time for the custody transfer, you should consider packing a few hours early or even the night before.
What to Keep at Your Home
You won’t need to send all of your child’s belongings when he or she goes to the other parent’s house. Instead, parents should make sure that their child has clothing, toys, and comfort items in their homes permanently. By keeping these objects at home, parents can create a consistent and familiar space for their children when they stay with them. Parents should also consider decorating their home with their children in mind, especially when it comes to their bedrooms. By creating a space just for the child, a parent can help ensure that that child feels at home and secure and has a place to be on their own.
Create a Packing List
Deciding what to send for a custody transfer and what to keep can be complicated, so many co-parents are encouraged to work from a packing list, at least until custody transfers become routine, which can help create an easier transition between both parents’ homes. A parent could, for instance, mark down which homework or school project the child will need to take, as well as which medications, snacks, and comfort items to send. Depending on the weather, the parent may need to send special clothing, raincoats, jackets, or boots if the child doesn’t have any at the other parent’s home.
Speak with an Experienced Fort Lauderdale Child Custody Attorney
If you share custody of your child and have questions about how to create a parenting plan that best suits your family, call dedicated Florida child custody attorney Sandra Bonfiglio, P.A. at 954-945-7591 for help. Our experienced legal team can help you come up with a custody arrangement that can help your child transition to living in two households.
Sources:
psychologytoday.com/us/blog/thinking-about-kids/201007/moving-is-tough-kids
jud6.org/ContactInformation/familyLaw/Visitation%20Dos%20and%20Don%27ts.pdf