Checklist for Two-Home Parents
Editor’s Note: If you’re divorced or separated, then you’re likely a two-home parent, meaning that your children divide their time between two homes. The following checklist provided by Karen Bonnell will help ensure that you’re meeting your role as a two-home parent.
Home life: meal prep/packing lunches, dressing, bathing, bedtime routines, morning routines, activities, play dates, and maintaining the home environment
Nurturing skills: listening, soothing, calming, patience, guiding, protecting and gently building confidence
Structuring skills: following through on chores, logical consequences for choices, maintaining rhythms and schedules, problem-solving, and appropriate application of discipline
School: connecting to academic websites, supervising/supporting homework, maintaining relationships with teachers/school groups, attending childcentered activities and parent-teacher conferences
Healthcare: meeting day-to-day healthcare needs, managing medications, communicating with your coParent when medical intervention or something unusual happens, and participating in decision making regarding health care per your parenting plan agreements
Belongings: keeping a set of basic clothing and personal care items for each child in your home, as well as typical over-the-counter medications your children may need
Space: provide your children adequate space, bedding, toys and elements to meet their comfort needs in their home with you
Transitions: helping prepare for transition to their other home, packing, facilitating transportation per agreements, and providing a transition report so your co-parent is up and running with the information he/she needs to take over duty with the children
Editor’s Note: This is an excerpt from Karen Bonnell’s book, THE PARENTING PLAN HANDBOOK.
About Karen Bonnell
