what to add to child plan for mediation
What is a parenting plan?
A parenting plan is an agreement y'all and the other person (or people) with parental responsibility put together when you are living separately. You don't accept to have a parenting plan in identify but many separated parents find information technology helpful to have some agreement to fall back on should issues arise and to align their hopes for their children.
In this blog, we accept a look at what to include in a parenting plan, what are the almost common parenting arrangements and look at if a parenting programme is legally binding in the Uk.
What to include in a parenting plan
1. General principles
Information technology is helpful to beginning with some full general principles about how you want to raise your children whilst living separately.
This will encompass off matters, such every bit you both see each parent equally having a role in the upbringing of the
children, what the children'southward strengths are and what your hopes are for your future parenting arrangements as well as the physical and emotional wellbeing of the children.
2. Where will the children stay and when. What volition happen if you need to make a change to the schedule.
Many parents draft a four-week rota:
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday | |
| Week one | |||||||
| Week 2 | |||||||
| Calendar week three | |||||||
| Calendar week 4 |
You tin then fill in where the children will sleep for each nighttime of the week. It may be that week one and 2 are replicated in the post-obit 2 weeks or that yous agree something different. Many people accept split arrangements for schoolhouse holidays.
Yous can vary the schedule equally y'all wish. It may also include times when the children spend time with one parent, but sleep at the others, or information technology can include time spent on the phone or face time.
An case of a parenting schedule is below. Please notation that every family unit is different and this is included here to show yous how information technology may wait – it is not a suggested standard schedule:
| Mon | Tues | Wednesday | Thurs | Fri | Sat | Sun | NOTES | |
| Wk 1 | Mum | Dad | Mum | Mum | Dad | Dad | Dad | Mum collects from schoolhouse Friday |
| Wk ii | Mum | Dad | Mum | Mum | Mum | Mum | Mum | Dad collects from schoolhouse Thursday |
| Wk 3 | Mum | Dad | Mum | Dad | Dad | Dad | Dad | Mum Facetimes kids before bed Sat |
| Wk 4 | Mum | Dad | Mum | Mum | Mum | Mum | Dad | Dad collects from football game on Sunday |
It is rare that any two schedules are exactly the same. And remember that the schedule volition change over time as the children grow older and their activities, school and lives change. It is helpful to put something in place and see how information technology goes, with an understanding that it may need to change over fourth dimension.
iii. What will happen during school holidays and at half term?
Many parents agree a split schedule for the school holidays. This is sometimes to allow one parent to brand up for time during the school term, when it may be harder to schedule in time with the children or to help with child care. Y'all should discuss what will happen during:
- 3 10 Half Terms
- Easter and Christmas Holidays
- Summertime Holidays
Unless your children are privately educated, y'all will normally take 13 weeks of school holidays to discuss and make arrangements for.
4. Communication
Information technology is helpful to discuss how you lot volition communicate about the children moving forwards. You may want to ready up monthly, quarterly or even an annual chat nearly the children, where y'all meet for java or schedule in a phone call between you and only talk about the children and their needs.
If communication is difficult, it can exist really helpful to have a communication book, which can cover off what homework they need to do, what medicines they may be taking, or whatever other problems surrounding the children. Keep it civil in the volume as the children may well read what is written in it.
5. Special Days in the year, Christmas and other Religious Days, Father's Day & Female parent's Twenty-four hour period, Birthdays etc.
Having decided the arrangements for the schoolhouse term and holidays, y'all volition need to consider if there are any changes for special days in the twelvemonth. Many parents prioritise Mothers and Male parent's Day in the schedule for the relevant parent. But you may also wish to accommodate your own birthdays, or birthdays of step-brothers and sisters.
Christmas and New year can often be a time of contention on what parenting arrangements to agree. Endeavour to focus on what the children would like and what can piece of work best for the wider family unit.
6. Costs & Expenses
This would cover whatever statutory child maintenance payments and too how you will handle i off expenses such every bit school trips and uniform. It may as well cover payments for mobile phones, subscriptions and later school activities. For aid with what you should pay in kid maintenance, you should start with the child maintenance calculator found here:
https://www.gov.uk/calculate-kid-maintenance
vii. Schools
It is probable you both have parental responsibleness. You therefore both should have an input into which 
8. Health & Medicines
As you are both likely to accept parental responsibility you will both need to have a say in any emergency situation and be notified if your child goes into hospital as before long as is practicable. Just y'all should as well communicate on matters such equally whether a child has been given Calpol earlier they hand over.
9. Grandparents and wider family
Grandparents accept their ain rights when it comes to seeing their grandchildren, only they can be considered in your programme, alongside other family unit members to brand sure the children can maintain contact with their wider family unit.
10. New partners
This can always be a contentious area to discuss. But with then many good arrangements going wrong when a new partner is introduced, it is worth having a discussion about now, even if it is not probable to exist an issue for a little while.
The keys matters to talk over is how you lot will communicate together equally parents to make sure the introduction of whatsoever new partner causes the least emotional distress to the child(ren). It should not be something that is of a sudden introduced to the children, but done well can brand a positive impact on their wellbeing.
eleven. Holidays Abroad & Passports
If you are planning on taking the children abroad, yous volition need to accept permission from anyone with parental responsibleness. This is irrespective for how long you are actually going abroad for. In some cases you may have a Kid Arrangements Society, which will stipulate that the child is primarily resident with you. In such specific circumstances you practice not need permission to have a child away, as long equally it is for 28 days or less.
It is helpful to hold in the plan what arrangements you are going to put in place if you wish to accept the children abroad and agree to share details of flights, hotels where yous are staying etc.
You lot should likewise concord how passports will be handed across, who will usually concur them and who will cover the cost of maintaining them. You lot may also wish to discuss if there is to be whatever contact between the children and the other parent whilst they are away.
Read our blog here nigh whether yous can take your children abroad during term-time.
For holidays in England and Wales you do not need permission from anyone else with parental responsibility, but be careful if you are considering taking the child to Scotland, Northern Ireland or The Channel Islands, as these are under a different legal jurisdiction to England & Wales.
If in doubt y'all should take legal advice – but it is always better to work these things through in your parenting program before they fifty-fifty get an event.
12. Faith / Dispute Resolution / Other Specific Arrangements
Yous may have specific religious arrangements that you would similar the children to follow at both residences, or agree on a joined up method of discipling. At the end of the 24-hour interval it is very difficult to endeavour to command how the other party will raise the children one time you are separated.
You may disagree on many parenting methods – but if there is something you specifically both concur on, and so it should get in your plan. Some parents concur that they will not allow more than 3 hours on computers or that they must be in bed by 9pm on a school dark etc. It tin can be helpful to agree in advance how you will resolve whatever future disputes – such as you agree to utilize family mediation.
It can exist helpful to agree not to say annihilation derogatory about the other parent in front of the child – information technology is, after all, someone the children love that y'all are being disparaging nearly after all.
Get in bear upon to find out how Mediate UK can help with your parenting or financial dispute, or with a divorce, separation or legal advice.
Telephone call 0330 999 0959 or click hither.
Source: https://www.mediateuk.co.uk/12-things-you-should-include-when-agreeing-a-parenting-plan/
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