Children who are dealing with their parents’ divorce may wonder what’s going to happen to their relationship with their extended family members. This includes their grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles. Those individuals might be very important for the kids, so it might scare them to think that they won’t be able to have contact with them like they’re accustomed to doing.
It’s imperative that you and your ex work out an agreement so that the children don’t lose those important people.
Keep communication open
One of the most important things for you to do is to make sure that you keep the lines of communication open. This can make it easier for you to let everyone know about the kids’ activities and when they need support. It might seem easier to make your ex tell their side of the family everything, but that might jeopardize them getting completely accurate information.
Encourage the children
The kids might think that one parent doesn’t want to know they’re enjoying time with extended family members on the other parent’s side of the family. Take that worry away from them by encouraging them to forge meaningful relationships with all of their relatives.
One thing that you should always remember is that the kids have to come first. Provisions should be made so that the children can remain in contact with both sides of their family. If necessary, terms for this contact can be put into the parenting plan. Having a clear parenting time agreement can also help you to ensure that the children can have time with extended family. The plan you set up should be based on what the children need now. As those needs change, so can the plan.