Top Ten Do’s & Don’ts for Comportment While with your Child During Periods of Possession:
DO:
Make a sincere effort to personally care for your child.
Ensure the child attends extracurricular activities in which the child is enrolled/participates.
Talk with the other parent/child about what homework/projects should be begun, worked on or completed by the end of your period of possession.
Involve your child in plans for activities during periods of possession.
Report to authorities if you believe your child is being abused (physical or sexual).
Ensure the child has their own bed to sleep in at your house.
Speak positively about the other parent or say nothing at all.
Refrain from what a judge might consider inappropriate behavior for you or you and your spouse/SO while your child is present.
Respect the child’s sensibilities.
Return all clothing, personal items and school work with the child.
DON’T:
Make your child feel like they aren’t important to you by not personally caring for them or having them cared for by a significant other.*(referenced hereinbelow as SO*)
Make the child miss practices, games, campouts, etc.
Return the child to the other parent/school without homework/projects being begun, worked on or completed, whichever is applicable.
Act like it’s a burden to care for your child.
Ignore significant/unexplained bruising, injuries or a child’s outcry about abuse.
Let the child sleep with you or you & your spouse/SO.
Make disparaging remarks about the other parent or allow others to do so.
Drink excessively, use illegal drugs, view pornography, use profanity or argue with someone.
Sleep with a SO during periods of possession.
Keep clothes/personal items the child was sent with.
At one’s deathbed, no one says, “I wish I hadn’t spent so much time with my child.”