This week and next, many Mississippi students will be returning to their classrooms for a new school year. Some come from households where some big life changes occurred over the summer. For example, many kids have parents who recently filed for or settled a divorce.
There are numerous back-to-school issues that can impact a child’s ability to cope with a parent’s divorce. Parents who do not have a solid child custody agreement in place are at risk for confusion, disputes and stress. It is always best to incorporate back-to-school details in a parenting plan to help avoid problems during the school year.
Meet the teacher night after a divorce
A common back-to-school issue that can create tension between parents following a divorce is “meet the teacher night.” If one of the parents coming out of a divorce has sole legal custody or primary physical custody of the children, it might be easiest if this parent attends meet the teacher night, as well as any parent-teacher conference or meeting that takes place throughout the school year. Let a child’s teachers know ahead of time that there has been a divorce and which parent should be contacted for important school information. Of course, in many divorces both parents remain involved and have the right to communicate with teachers and school officials.
Other issues, such as finances for school supplies, transportation to and from extracurricular activities, as well as field trips, special events and more, can be assigned to a particular parent to avoid disagreements. Then again, if a set of parents gets along well, they might agree to attend all school events together, which provides kids an opportunity to enjoy the participation of both parents. If a parent ignores a child custody order or refuses to cooperate to help kids have a successful school year after a divorce, a concerned Mississippi parent can reach out for counseling or legal support, as needed.
