Spring Clean Your Parenting Plan

In southern Ontario, we are in full spring, verging on summer some days, and many of us feel a little livelier or more energetic at this time of year. Now is a great time to use your fresh perspective to update your parenting plan, a spring-cleaning of sorts, to remove the communication cobwebs or dusty schedules that no longer suit your family.

It seems counterintuitive, but May and June are great opportunities to discuss Thanksgiving or winter holiday schedules, fall parenting schedules, and other topics that do not need imminent resolution. Without the pressure of an imminent deadline, you can take time to mull over adjustments to your parenting plan.  If your child is moving from elementary to middle school, or middle to high school, then you and your co-parent may benefit from a review of

• getting-to-school plans,

• before and after school supervision,

• recreational opportunities, and

• new ground rules for your maturing young person.

A flat-fee mediation package works well for parents needing to discuss these important changes and manage their budgets. Caroline offers flat fee mediation to residents of Ontario. The package includes introductory phone calls, individual intake meetings, up to five hours of joint mediation sessions, as well as an updated draft of your parenting plan. With the flat fee service, you know how much you are paying and when.

The entire fee for this service is $3000 plus HST and is shared by the parents.  

If you know you need to make changes to your parenting plan but are avoiding the tricky conversation, reach out to Caroline to ask about flat fee mediation and your situation.

May all your spring and summer weekends be sunny.