Should you move closer to your children’s school?

Divorced fathers who share custody of their children have a lot to balance when it comes to co-parenting and sharing time. This is especially difficult when your children are school-aged. If your new home after your divorce is further from your children’s school than where you lived before, you may be thinking about relocating.

There are many reasons for doing this: too much time spent commuting, not enough neighborhood children near your new place, fewer opportunities for spontaneous play dates with school friends. It can all be exhausting.

However, one parenting coach suggests that moving may be a drastic option. If relocating will negatively affect your work commute or force you to move into a place your budget can’t afford, it may not be a good idea if the move is solely driven by your children’s social needs.

Instead, consider these alternatives that could help make the living situation easier to manage:

• Limit technology and screen time so they are forced to be creative and play
• Find activities for your children to get involved in near your place – art classes, swimming, fitness classes, etc. – that introduce them to new kids in the area
• Host more play dates on weekends and offer to pick up their friends so the parents don’t have to do all the driving
• Consider modifying your custody arrangement so it better fits the distance between your home and their school – if it is more of a burden than you expected when you finalized the agreement, it could be beneficial to look at it again

If there are other reasons to move closer to your children’s school, it is great to be closer to the places they spend their time and have friends. However, if that doesn’t make sense for your day-to-day needs, there are other options before taking this significant step.