On behalf of Cooper & Tanis, P.C. posted in divorce mediation on Tuesday, April 25, 2017.

If a Colorado couple divorces when their children are young, summer visitation schedules are often something that kids look forward to as they can spend greater amounts of time with the parent that they do not live with. However, as children age, they may be increasingly reluctant to spend time away from their friends during the long break.

To help make summer visitation easier and more enjoyable for older children, non-custodial parents should consider planning special outings, visiting relatives their children don’t see as much and integrating their schedule with their children’s. Special outings like visiting a theme park or going to a local festival can make the idea of spending time away from friends more attractive.

Additionally, when trips are taken to visit other family members, kids can catch up with relatives they don’t get to see as much and gather new experiences to talk about with friends when they return. Finally, parents should be sure to adjust their schedule so that they’re spending enjoyable and quality time with their kids when they are staying with them during the summer. This will make the time more enjoyable for both parents and kids and something everyone will look forward to.

One way to make parenting after a divorce easier is to consider a mediated divorce. With divorce mediation, people are able to come to agreements about how issues related to a divorce are handled. There are a number of benefits to this, including the fact that people can decide matters however best fits their situation. During a litigated divorce, a judge makes these decisions, and they may end up not being particularly beneficial to either party.