Cooperative Homeschooling After Divorce

 Posted on June 13, 2024 in Child Custody

Attending a public or even a private school is not for every child. Some children do best when they are homeschooled. Students who have struggled with bullying or who have specific behavioral health needs are often safer learning at home. Homeschooled children often enjoy a closer bond with their parents, even when their parents are not together anymore. Teaching your child at home or sending them to a virtual school can give both parents plenty of quality time with their children without the constraints of a set and strict schedule. However, parents who continue homeschooling after getting divorced will need to work together to oversee their children’s education. A Wheaton, IL child custody attorney can help you build a home education plan into your comprehensive parenting plan.

Tips for Working Together to Homeschool After Divorce 

A few tips that might help you prepare to continue or start homeschooling your child after divorce include:

• Use mediation - If possible, try to settle your divorce out of court with the help of a mediator. This process can prepare you to work collaboratively in addition to keeping your divorce proceedings - and relationship - civil. 
• Set clear goals - Set well-defined educational goals for your child. For example, make sure that your child is reading at his or her grade level at the end of the year. 
• Use a virtual school - Having your child attend a virtual school can help make sure that your child’s education is consistent regardless of which parent he or she is staying with at any given time. This can also give your child a sense of stability as he or she moves between your households. 
• Address disagreements about what your child should learn - Discuss the difficult issues you might disagree on. For example, should your child receive abstinence-only sex education when the time comes, or should he or she get a more comprehensive lesson? How will you resolve disagreements that come up in the future? 
• Set out each parent’s responsibilities - Make sure you both clearly understand what duties you have regarding your child’s education. Who is responsible for buying school supplies? Will you both take turns teaching and helping your child with assignments? Who grades papers? 
• Define the curriculum - If you are not going to use a virtual school, make sure you have a clearly defined and set curriculum. 

Contact a DuPage County, IL Parenting Plans Attorney 

Andrew Cores Family Law Group is dedicated to helping divorced parent work together to raise their children. Our team of Wheaton, IL parenting plans lawyers are highly experienced in alternative dispute resolution. Contact us at 630-871-1002 for a complimentary consultation.