How to plan summer for children in shared custody? Most importantly – together.

Two months of summer holidays can feel like a long time for many parents. But when you’re responsible for only half of it, suddenly fitting everything in can become a challenge. Children also have their own wishes for how they want to spend their summer, and parents often find themselves negotiating almost every holiday day. Camps, seaside relaxation, time at the cottage, visits with grandparents – it’s simply an organizational challenge.

Here are a few tips on what to clarify with the other parent when planning:

Keep your calendar in order

Go through each summer week together in advance – in the app2us calendar, you’ll clearly see how your schedules align. This way, you’ll both have an overview of your child’s plans and know when it’s time for your own vacation. Agree on how to handle handovers or any unexpected situations that may arise.

Many children go to summer camps. But what if you can’t take them there because you have an urgent business trip? No problem – talk to the other parent. Even though you have divided care between you, you’re still both there for your children, and nothing prevents you from helping each other. When one can’t, the other steps in. And that doesn’t mean you’ve failed as a parent – quite the opposite. Your ability to cooperate and “cover” for each other is a great example of responsible and mature parenting.

Tip: Is it difficult for you to have a calm discussion at one table? Use app2us for planning – write individual activities into the calendar and discuss details in the chat.

Be ready to react flexibly

What if your child gets sick at camp and someone has to pick them up early? Ideally, agree in advance who will take care of it. Be generous – surely you both want to raise generous children. And if an agreement isn’t possible, refer to the court ruling. It tells you who, at that moment, has both the right and the obligation to care for the child – which sometimes includes picking up a child early from camp with tonsillitis.

Consider your children’s age and involve them in the planning. They have their own interests and friends and will appreciate having a say in how they spend their holidays. Try dividing the summer into thirds: one for each parent and one for the child’s own activities. This will help prevent disagreements about who spent “more time” with the child or whose time a summer camp or sports training fell under.

Who pays for summer activities?

Day camps, overnight camps, and training programs are all expenses that impact the summer budget. Even in cases of sole custody, it’s common for parents to split the cost of camps and extracurricular activities equally. It’s part of responsible parenting – wanting your child to enjoy time with peers, develop skills, and experience independence. Since these activities aren’t part of one parent’s or the other’s time, agree on how to share the costs. These expenses are significant and usually not covered by regular child support payments.

Vacations with children are typically paid for by each parent individually. But if your family budget doesn’t allow it, you can agree to contribute jointly – for example, one year for the child’s trip with mom and the next year with dad. Remember that children notice how both parents contribute to their activities, even if you never talk about it directly – they know. And one day, they might ask.

Tip: Don’t forget to record expenses – for example, in app2us, where you can easily track both parents’ spending and balance them regularly.

Who gets the children ready for camp?

Packing is usually handled by the parent the children are staying with before departure. But remember that some equipment may be at the other parent’s home, so discuss what the children need and what you can each provide in your household. Then, you’ll usually just have a few small things left to buy – and you can easily split those costs half and half.

What matters most in summer?

Be mindful of what your children want. Don’t cling to every single day – the holidays are long enough for you to spend quality time together, even if they go off for part of the summer for their own adventures. Make arrangements knowing that the holidays are primarily for the children, not the parents. One day, they’ll thank you for it.

Photo: Bára Jiranová