If your marriage is drawing to a close, focusing on your children’s concerns may help them combat the negative mental health consequences that often accompany divorce. Eventually, though, your kids may need to adjust to living in two separate households.
Sharing physical custody of children requires coming up with time-sharing agreements and parenting plans. When your designated parenting time ends, you must transfer physical custody of your kids to their co-parent. This may require meeting at a pre-determined custody transfer site or dropping off your kids at their other parent’s home.
What to send with your kids
As a parent, it is your obligation to ensure your kids take necessary items with them when they leave your house. As Psychology Today notes, packing essential items may also help your children cope with the emotional challenges that come with moving to a different place.
Here are some items you should probably send with your children:
- Homework, school projects and permission slips
- School uniforms, books and tools
- Medication and medical equipment
- Comfort objects, such as a security blanket or favorite stuffed animal
- Smartphones, tablets and other electronic devices
As you know, children often misplace items. Therefore, to ensure your kids are ready to go when the custody transfer arrives, you may want to pack a few hours early or even the night before the transfer.
What to keep at your home
You probably do not need to send all child-related items in your home with your kids to the custody transfer. Typically, it makes sense to have clothing, toothbrushes and toys in both households. By retaining these objects, you create a consistent and familiar space for your kids when they return.
Ultimately, until your custody transfers become routine, working from a packing list is an effective way to ensure your kids have a seamless transition between your home and their co-parent’s.
