As some Texas parents who have ended their marriage will discover, the parenting plan they agreed to initially will not always continue to fully serve the needs of the family. When this happens, they will need to sit down once again and renegotiate the various issues related to their parenting.
Organize, plan and move forward
Once you figure out that you will need to renegotiate your parenting plan, you will need to organize your ideas, plans for the future and then proceed. This means you should be clear about what you want to address in the negotiations and what you want to add to the parenting plan. Often, parenting plans might initially start out as a basic document that establishes parenting time throughout the year, but they can, and should, include as many aspects related to the custody of the child. With this information in hand, you can then plan for the renegotiations and sit down with your ex to work on the details.
Be patient and kind as you work through the details
Once you are ready to work with the other parent on the new plan, you can start by reviewing the plan you are already following and addressing why the changes, are needed. During this time, emotions might get in the way of successful negotiating so remember to be kind and even patient with your ex. There are many things you can put into the parenting plan, including:
• How special dates and events will be handled
• Information about the children’s extracurricular activities
• The schools the children will attend
• How the parents, and the whole family, if the children are older, will communicate and keep up to date
The two of you might agree on a new parenting plan or end up having to go to court to finish the details. Either way, you begin the process by filing a petition with the court for the changes.