It’s no secret to Florida residents that our state has the highest population of residents over 65. With such a large percentage of our community at or beyond the age of retirement, the growing trend towards ‘Gray Divorce’ is affecting millennials writes Mary W. Quigley, in a recent AARP article. The post cites marriages ‘coming to an end’ rather than failing. One important issue brought up is the difficulty children have remaining neutral. There are some helpful links throughout the article including What Nobody Tells You About Being the Child of Divorce. We would second the notion that healthy boundaries and open communication are key to moving forward.

A How-To Guide To Surviving Infidelity

Clinical Psychologist Dr. Susan Heitler put together a list of 22 Ways Couples Can Survive Infidelity. It’s a great resource for opening lines of communication with a spouse. These steps are positive no matter the outcome of the discussion regarding infidelity. It’s a touchy subject, of course, but the list contains specifics and nuances beyond the typical “Do It Yourself” marriage/communication guides found in most articles. It’s rational and detailed enough to be of use for hurtful moments other than infidelity as well.

Is The 5 Second Rule Really a Thing?

Out final article on our link roundup ends on a lighter note. Many of us remember a sibling or school buddy teaching us the 5 Second Rule. Drop that Pop-Tart on the floor? No problem, just pick it up right away and off to the school bus you go! A study by Ashton University in the UK proves the five second rule is real. The study suggests that “time is a significant factor” in the transfer of bacteria. One interesting note is that carpet is less likely to transfer to food that is dropped and consumed in a short period of time As Professor Anthony Hilton states: “We have found evidence that transfer from indoor flooring surfaces is incredibly poor with carpet actually posing the lowest risk of bacterial transfer onto dropped food.” So go ahead and pickup that popcorn or pretzel you drop during your next Netflix binge, just do it quickly.

It is that time of year again, back to school. For many parents who share the custody of their child, this can be a time of turmoil. The goal for the new school year for both parents should be to minimize the changes that the child may have now that summer vacation is over. And to keep both parents happy, all custody arrangements should be something that you can both stick to and follow. In the end, it is all about the child or children, and both parents should do whatever they can to make the school year a happy one.

For those parents getting ready for the new school year, here are 4 tips to help manage the time-sharing more easily:

1. Be consistent
This means that you should still follow the regular schedule, with the child spending nights with each parent. If you have a schedule from last school year that worked, then use it again. If not, then stick to the time-sharing schedule the two of you agreed upon in your parenting plan.

2. Communicate with one another
In many situations, parents do not communicate with each other as much as they should. Remember, you are both parents of your child and you are going to have to communicate with each other in order to ensure that the needs of your child are met. With the advancement of technology, you don’t really have to talk, you can email or even text message one another. These can be great ways to let the other parent know that you are picking the child up from their after school program, you are running late, or the like.

3. Open a line of communication with the teacher
Unfortunately, depending on the time-sharing schedule, many times one parent is left out when it comes to what is going on in the classroom on a day-to-day basis. That is why it is important for both parents to be involved and communicate with the teacher. This also means ensuring that the school has both parents’ contact information and that information being sent from the school is going to both parents.

4. Keep track of the money spent for school expenses (clothes, school supplies, lunch money, etc.)
Money can be a huge issue when time-sharing is involved, as the child is going to need money for school on a regular basis in most cases. This is another reason why it is so important for parents to talk to each other, and keep each other informed about these expenses and keep track of who is buying what for the child.

As an experienced divorce attorney in Jacksonville, Florida, Wendy Norman can help parents to figure out what the best method is for children when involved in a time-sharing situation. Whether this means going to court to set a schedule or simply sitting down with one or the other parent, the responsibilities associated with raising a child can be handled.