Creating Custody Agreements With School-Aged Children

Meaghan Kleine Blog

Continuing with our back-to-school theme, this week we’re exploring child custody agreements involving school-aged children. Creating a custody schedule can be complicated, especially when co-parents have to consider school hours.

Let’s review some key points to consider while crafting a custody agreement and different education-related factors that can affect custody time.

 

Discussion Points for Co-Parents

 

No matter what age, all co-parents need to plan a custody agreement that considers their child’s education. Many children have increased difficulty concentrating in school when they are feeling uncomfortable about their parent’s separation, so you and your ex-partner need to consider:

  • Commute between parental houses
  • Transportation to and from school
  • Homework time

Parents who live in different school districts will have a longer commute time to pick up or drop off their child. If both parents want weekday overnights, each individual will need to figure out transportation as well. Just consider that long periods of travel between households can be tiresome for children.

 

 

Each house should also implement homework time for their children. For young children, parents should check their backpack daily for important notices from teachers and homework assignments. As kids get older, many are responsible for completing homework independently. If the student alternates households, each parent should create a quiet, designated study space for homework.

 

Considerations Based on Education-Level

 

Whether you have an elementary student, high school senior, or multiple children in between, their education-level will factor into your custody decisions. Here’s a breakdown of some of the key problems that co-parents encounter throughout the ages:

 

Elementary School

The main issues co-parents face with elementary school children are pick-up and drop-off times. The child’s morning routine should prepare them for the school day and ensure they arrive at school on time. After school, an approved adult needs to pick-up the child from school or the bus stop.

But when both parents work, the elementary school schedule can be tricky to coordinate. If one parent holds long hours, they may not be available during the designated pick-up and drop-off times. One or both co-parents may need to employ a caretaker for their child.

With good communication and collaboration, co-parents can work together to establish a fair custody agreement. But that includes agreeing on designated babysitters or caretakers if needed.

 

 

Middle School

Out of all the ages, creating a custody schedule for middle school aged children might be the most challenging for co-parents. The maturity of children starting and ending middle school is vastly different — meaning some can be left home alone, while others are not ready for that responsibility.

In Arkansas, most school districts will allow children aged 9 and older to exit the school bus without adult supervision. But that’s not to suggest all 9-year-old children should be home alone for a long period of time. It’s up to you and your ex-partner to review emergency situations and determine if they are responsible enough to be left alone in the house.

Additionally, many districts have after-school activities for middle-school children. Rather than let your custody agreement affect your child’s participation, co-parents should work together to coordinate a pick-up schedule.

 

High School

Parents who are navigating custody schedules with a child in high school must be flexible. Some high schoolers must balance homework, social life, family relationships, and employment (for students who have entered the workforce). For upperclassmen, this also means studying for standardized tests (ACT or SAT) and applying to college.

 

 

Sticking firm to custody agreements can hurt your high school-aged teenager. They may resent parents who maintain rigid custody rules that force them to reject social plans or employment opportunities. Without flexibility from both parents, your child could miss out on life-changing academic and social experiences.

 

Don’t Let Custody Agreements Affect Your Child’s Schooling

 

For some co-parents, custody schedules work great on paper…but not so much in practice. There will be instances where you need to communicate with your ex-partner and ask for flexibility in the custody agreement, especially when it comes to exchanging school-aged children.

If you need to modify your custody schedule with your ex-partner, you’ll need a reliable family law attorney to help navigate your case. Consult with one of the legal professionals at Hickey & Hull today to help fight for a custody agreement that supports your child’s educational experience.