Mom's creates clever co-parenting calendar that helps kids transition between 2 homes
The simple color-coded calendar helps children understand the concept of time and eases the transition between two homes.
As a child, it's never easy to split time between two households. A mom from California has shown a simple technique that helps younger children process the transition between households with the use of a customized calendar. Kinsey Morlang, mother to Dylann, 5, and Killian, 2, found an innovative way to help Dylann process the time split between two households and ease the transition every time she has to visit or return from her father's home, reported Good Morning America. Morlang co-parents Dylann with the 5-year-old's father. She created a calendar that simplified the weekly schedule for Dylann, who's a visual learner. The idea came to her after she realized her daughter wasn't able to grasp the time which made it difficult for her to process the transition between houses as well.
"I found that when she'd ask, 'When will I see Dad again?' and I'd say, '[In] two days.' Or 'One day,' she just wasn't grasping it," said Morlang, who hails from Chino. "It planted a seed in my head and I said, 'OK, I'm going to color code.'" She used a whiteboard calendar and color-coded the days depending on the days she was to spend in each house, assigning a color for each house. The 5-year-old could look at the color of the day in the calendar and know which household she'll be spending her time in and for how long. Morlang also added red spots on the days of the transition, to denote she would be leaving one house and going to the other.
Morlang did this to help ease the anxiety of suddenly having to leave for the other household. This really helped her grasp the time she would be spending in one house and also enabled her to process the transition. "She loves it and it's given her a sense of control in her life," said Morlang. "She's no long fearful of transitions and it's been great."
Morlang drew a calendar similar to the one she designed for her daughter, to help others in similar situations. Parents have lauded her for helping kids understand and grasp time visually which is really helpful for kids. The calendar can prove to be very helpful during a challenging time like the Coronavirus pandemic. Communication is key when handling a child who has to divide time between two houses, according to The American Academy of Pediatrics. Kids will find it harder to cope and process if the parents fail to agree on things such as schedule, sleep, nutrition, and discipline. As parents, it's important to always look out for their child as opposed to keeping score on parenting skills. Even while staying physical distanced, it's important to remain socially connected. During the pandemic, virtual visits have become an important part of parenting.
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