Mother’s Day is just around the corner, and this is a great time to flex your co-parenting muscles, get a tune up, or seek further advice or assistance if necessary.
If you are the parent celebrating Mother’s Day with the children:
1. You would ideally have a Consent Order or Parenting Plan that specifies the arrangements for spend-time on or about Mother’s Day. The time would likely look something like - “time with the children’s Mother from say 9.00am until 5.00pm on Mother’s Day or say 5.00pm on the day preceding Mother’s Day until 9.00am the day after Mother’s Day”.
2. This will be a wonderful time for you to start value-based traditions with your children in your home and this could include a meal together with your children, with your larger family, or with other separated families (so that your children don’t feel they are different).
3. This is also a great time to start making family memories with photographs of the day that you can frame and hang for the children to see.
If you are not the parent celebrating Mother’s Day with the children:
1. You would ideally be supporting your children spending time with their Mother on Mother’s Day and already have an agreement as to time, either in a Consent Order or Parenting Plan. It is a good time to make sure you also have a reciprocal arrangement for either Father’s Day, or another special day for you.
2. You should encourage and support the children to either create or purchase a card, gift and / or experience for their Mother.
3. Talk positively about the other parent in the lead up to the special occasion and never say anything negative or disparaging about the other parent to the child, or within the child’s earshot or presence.
It is always best for the children to be able to experience what children in non-separated families experience, with value-based family traditions that are positive and loving and they can remember forever.
We recommend discussing and confirming any agreements well before the day, we can help guide you in how to raise these matters and provide options for negotiation and entering into a binding agreement.
The above publication is from TML Family law, your local family law firm with offices in Mornington, South Yarra and the CBD, www.tmlfamilylaw.com.au, Instagram: @tmlfamilylaw.com.au and @familylawtoolkit. The team at TML Family Law are available to assist you, please contact reception@tmlfamilylaw.com.au or 0400578179 with any queries.
Disclaimer – the information contained in this publication does not constitute legal advice and should not be relied upon as such. You should seek legal advice in relation to any particular matter you may have before relying or acting on this information.
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