Extracurricular activities are good for your child. It helps them channel their energy well and enhances your child’s overall development. Participation in extracurriculars is a great advantage for the child to earn a scholarship. Not just one, but there are ample opportunities to participate in many activities. Be it any skill development, time management, or group activities for building social skills, it can be anything that may interest your child. Honestly, it can be hard to make that choice with so many options. On top, if you are divorced and sharing the custody of your child, it can be quite a challenge. Imagine all the children being part of different games and the practice sessions and tournaments possibly clashing. How is it feasible for a parent to be present for their children participating in various competitions simultaneously? Clearly, not!
Even two-parent families face this problem of being unable to be present in two places at once or whose game to attend when practices and tournaments are being held simultaneously for different sports at different locations. But when you share the custody of your child and who pays for what, then difficulty increases. Many challenges come with shared custody, which is more complex than you think.
Sign up
Even though extracurricular activities are helpful for a child, the first hurdle is whether to sign up for them. Also, deciding which activity to take up is a great deal. Parents want their children to participate in various activities, and conflicting schedules can be a huge problem. Then it comes down to making a choice, starting from here. One parent would want their kid to participate in dramatics, while another parent may want the kid to play a sport. Depending on the kid’s schedule, if only one thing is possible, then pursue that. The child must do one thing at a time, like sports this year and dramatics next year or vice versa. Parents do not want their children to have a busy schedule, which means spending more time with them.
Pick up and drop off
Parents have the most difficulty managing pick up or drop off during shared custody. It gets messy when either parent cannot pick up or drop off their child from the other parent’s house. Then the other parent drops off, picks up, or does not do accordingly, depending on your relations. It is great if you are flexible and able to make minor adjustments based on any situation that arises. The parent can drop the kid off for extracurricular activities, and the other parent can pick up the child after the session.
Finances
Shared custody means each parent must contribute to the child’s development, including school, clothing, stationery, extracurricular activities, and other necessities. Meanwhile, certain situations wherein the child wanted stationery items and forgot to bring them up at another parent’s house can happen, which may not be unusual. While it may have been the responsibility of another parent but can manage by spending on the child’s other needs or expenses.
So, communication is the key, and maintaining cordial relations for your child’s sake is good. Keeping your child’s schedule handy is essential, so you do not fall behind. If you feel the need for some legal help and advice on shared custody, child visitation, or other matters, schedule a consultation with Shaffer Family Law at (480) 470-3030.