How To Survive the 2020/2021 Virtual School Year With Your Ex

By DADvocacy™ | August 17, 2020

Co-Parenting during COVID-19 has been challenging for everyone, but with school starting soon, parents need to work together now more than ever.  Here are some tips for navigating the virtual school realm with your ex during this pandemic.

• Keep your child’s schedule as consistent as possible.
  • Both parents need to be informed and involved in their child’s virtual learning schedule and ensure that it stays consistent throughout both homes.
  • Everything from classwork time, mealtime, screen time (this one is tough), outdoor time, and bedtime should be replicated at both homes to give your child a set schedule.
• Have required school supplies and devices for virtual learning in both homes.
  • Both parents need to have all school essentials. COVID-19 in March led to school closure, leaving parents and teachers scrambling to make do until school was over. But now, with this new school year, parents need to treat this “new normal” schooling as a permanent one for the time being.
  • Whether it is getting a stronger bandwidth, electronic device, or simple crayons, parents should make sure their child has all the essentials needed to receive the best learning experience possible.
  • Parents should also discuss whether the electronic device their child will be using will go from one house to another or if each parent will have their own device at their respective homes.
• Both parents need to get acquainted with Zoom or any other platform used by their child’s school.
  • With COVID 19, technology has been the lifeline to staying connected. Both parents should be well versed in Zoom or any other platform used at their child’s school, which includes knowing all necessary usernames and passwords.
• Decide which parent will take on specific tasks for their child’s education.
  • Parents should set aside their issues and not hold onto their timesharing schedule and decide whose home is more conducive for virtual learning given the circumstances (Flexibility and communication are key).
  • A parent’s work schedule and whether they must go physically into work might be a deciding factor but should not be looked at negatively by the other parent.
• Keep each other informed and up to date.
  • No matter who is doing what regarding school, both parents need to keep each other up to date on their child’s schoolwork and any feedback they receive from teachers. This is not the time to one-up one another!
• Have a plan of action if there is exposure to COVID-19.
  • While being exposed to COVID-19 is not something anyone is planning for, parents should discuss what they will do with their timesharing if their child or anyone in the household is exposed to COVID-19.
  • It is also important to discuss what safety measures both homes are taking such as wearing masks and social distancing to ensure the best safety for their children. Please visit the CDC website for more information on how to protect yourself and others.

Here at DADvocacy we want all children to get the best education they can during these unprecedented times. We want parents to coparent and give their kids the best they can. It is time for parents to be a team. Please go to your local school board website for more information on how schools are handling COVID-19. For Miami Dade click here and for Broward click here.