Not all Parenting Plans are alike. Some are very detailed and some are specifically vague so as to allow more flexibility. If you and your former partner tend to disagree on the color of the sky, it might be best to ensure your parenting plan is particularly detailed when it comes to summer timesharing.
First, do you and the other parent (op) want to follow the same timesharing in the summer as you follow the rest of the rest of the year? There are advantages to keeping timesharing the same, but there are also advantages to changing it. Without school or homework concerns, the children can spend weeknights with the op. Additionally, summer day care can be difficult to find and pay for. Equalizing the timesharing and the responsibility for the summer can be beneficial to all of you.
Secondly, who is responsible for day care costs. Ensure that all day care, is shared in an equitable manner whether equally or proportional to your incomes. Or, make sure your Parenting Plan has language that summer day care is the responsibility of the party utilizing it. Generally, the judges in New Mexico allocate summer day care to both parents, regardless of who uses it the most.
Thirdly, have you addressed vacations? I find the best way to award summer timesharing is along the lines of week on/week off. That way, all vacations can be taken during each respective parent’s period of responsibility. However, make sure your Parenting Plans states exactly that or one party may try to vacation on your week, while having just exercised the previous week with the children.
What kind of notice do you want for travel? You shouldn’t require notice unless the timesharing interferes with the op’s timesharing. Do you want an itinerary? If so how far in advance do you wish to receive the itinerary. Do you wish to require approval for out of state travel or only out of country travel? Approval is not generally required for out of state travel, but should be required for out of country travel. If parents are citizens of other countries, should approval be required? I generally draft my Parenting Plans to require out of country approval, but also state the facts, ie, Mother is a citizen or Germany and travel to Germany should not be unreasonably denied.
What about holidays or summer birthdays? How important is Independence Day to you? If it’s not that important, then let regular timesharing dictate that day and don’t include that holiday in your Parenting Plan. I tend to do the same for summer birthdays. While it may be difficult to not see your child on her birthday, breaking up weekly timesharing can become tedious in the summer when it’s broken up for every birthday and every holiday. I tend to let regular timesharing take precedence over birthdays and schedule birthday parties on the weekends.
Fourthly, what about summer camps? Is it important for your child to attend music, gymnastics or other specialty camps? What if your op doesn’t agree? Maybe agree to one or two per summer or alternatively, agree that the party requesting the camp, schedule that camp on that respective party’s weeks. Don’t forget to address the costs of summer camps as those can be quite pricey.
Finally, just be sure to include as many details as you can to prevent confusion and disagreement as you move forward into the summer season.