The teenage years are admittedly a challenging time for teens and parents alike whether they live here in Sugar Land or elsewhere. Stuck somewhere between a child and an adult can make things difficult. Yet another layer of uncertainty is added to the mix when the parents of a teenager divorce. Helping a teen through these years as co-parents requires creative parenting plans.
Teenagers want independence and their own identity separate from their parents. For this reason, they often stop sharing information. This makes communication between the parents even more important now that they are divorced and that should be expressed in the parenting plan. Keeping in touch regarding a teen’s behavior in each household could help parents better understand what he or she is going through.
Unlike young children, attempting to adhere to a strict parenting time schedule may not work. That teenage independent streak may need both parents to be a bit more flexible. Spending time with friends, school and other events in a teen’s life may require making adjustments to the schedule periodically.
Both parents need to know whom their teen is spending time with when not with either of them. Assuming that the other parent knows could put the teen at risk unnecessarily. The other issue that could cause dissension from a teenager is when his or her parents are inconsistent. The two of them need to remain on the same page when it comes to the type of guidance the teen receives. He or she needs to know that you communicate and take the time to work together for the teen’s best interests.
Sugar Land parents who are going through a divorce may want to make sure that their parenting plans address the specific needs of teenagers. While they need less supervision than a younger child, they still need their parents to be there for them, spend time with them and exhibit consistency when it comes to their interactions. Of course, parents can spend time with their children as they see fit, but during the teen years is not the time to avoid communicating with each other and working together.
