Your child’s education is a very important part of his or her childhood. You can’t let the occurrences in your life have a negative impact on the schooling your child receives. However, children are often affected by their parents’ divorce.
There are ways that parents can make the transition to the new way of life a bit easier. Here are some tips for helping your child achieve academic success:
Stay involved
You and your ex both need to remain involved in education matters your children face. You can clearly define each parent’s role when you create your parenting plan. This will remove uncertainty about who is supposed to handle certain issues. Let the school, as well as each teacher, know that both parents need to be informed of any and all matters that require a parent’s attention.
Plan ahead
There will be times when the school will need parental involvement for activities. You need to decide who will participate in these. If you and your ex can act in a civil manner, both of you may decide to attend these events, which might include field trips, school plays, musical performances, sporting events and other activities.
Communicate clearly
A teacher who isn’t aware of the divorce will be unable to help the child with issues that can arise in school. Let the teachers and all administrators know about your divorce. This gives them an insight into why the child might be struggling with certain matters. It can also help them to determine the best ways to help your child when necessary.
Remember extracurriculars
Extracurricular activities are important for many children. While academic success is important, these activities can help children to learn real world skills like teamwork and good sportsmanship. Make sure that you don’t forget to plan for these and let the coaches and teachers know about the divorce. If you have to make changes to the child’s activities due to the divorce, be realistic with the child about the changes.
Encourage friendships
Your children might feel alone during the divorce. Make plans to allow the child to see his or her friends on a regular basis. Having to split time between two homes shouldn’t mean that the child can’t attend parties and other events with friends. You and your ex might have to coordinate transportation or schedules to accommodate these functions, but they are usually very important to your child and likely worth the extra effort.