Help Your Child Deal with School and Stepfamilies

School is just lurking just around the corner and it's calling back all the children in. A lot of children have step-relationships. Although this situation is not exactly new, institutions still have unclear approach to managing guardians or non-custodial parents and/or stepparents when it comes to matters of information exchange. Such policies and practices are relative to school or teacher's own set of rules.

Children of divorcees live with either one of the parents. The custodial parent becomes the only point of contract. These days, divorced parents prefer to share legal and /or physical custody of the child. Stepparents are also included in the picture. The usual scenario would be the school administrators confused and the parents frustrated.

Here are some tips on how to keep your child's school transactions this year smooth amongst this otherwise, confusing familial setup.

1. Have the names of non-residential and stepparents on the child's registration and emergency forms. It is a good idea to have each of them sign the forms to show that you are willing to work together to support your child's growth and education.

2. Include the addresses of the non-residential and stepparents in the forms so each of them are mailed a separate report by the school. This way all parties are informed about the child's progress in school.

3. Specify the roles of non-residential and stepparents in your child's education. Name who can pick up the child from school, attend the PTA meetings, and go with them in field trips. Ask their teachers for consent forms and confidentiality waivers. Sign and submit them for school files.

4. Ask the school administration if there are any other school policies and protocols that might affect or involve their non-custodial and stepparents' participation in your child's education.

5. Teachers file their parents' contact details for efficient information dissemination. Be sure to include the e-mail addresses of the child's non-residential and stepparents. However, indicate a primary contact detail for matters that need immediacy.

6. For your child's extra-curricular activities, inform both households about schedules and other pertinent contact information. Ask the person in-charge if there are other forms to be signed other than the one given out by the school.

The teachers of the child should be made aware of the child's situation at home. This is not to say that the teacher should be knowledgeable about the particular details of the child's circumstances. Give the teachers an idea of how things go about at home or when they are with their non-custodial and stepparents. You are ensured that your child is growing and learning by showing them love and support and being involved in their education.