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parent, especially money-related messages. If a child does come home with such a message, it might be best to explain to the child that you are meeting your financial commitments to the other parent and any additional requests will be discussed between you and the other parent. This relieves the child of having to take on resolving the uncomfortable situation, a position a child should never be put in.
4 . Find a mediator . When financial decisions arise that both parents cannot come to an agreement on, such as spending money on private school for example, try using a negotiator, that is, a third party trained in mediation. This person’s ability to be objective will help to create understanding for both viewpoints.
5 . Extras . If your children reside with the other parent and you find yourself buying necessities for the children when they come to visit because they don’t seem to have anything they need, those expenses cannot be deducted from the amount of support you pay. If the items may be used on regular visits to your home, keep the items at yours. If they are something that will be outgrown before the next visit, send the items back to the other parent’s house with the child.
6 . Children’s weddings . Weddings can create real tension if you don’t remember the most important thing—the wedding is about the child. It’s not a time for parents to create havoc about who pays what or who gets to decide on what. Everyone should concentrate on how the child would like things to be.
Ideas for Inexpensive Dates
It’s always nice to end a financial discussion on a positive note so we are ending this volume with some ideas for ways to have fun without spending a lot of money when you’ve decided it’s time to think about a new relationship. Enjoy! By the way, most of these activities would be fun for you and children to do.
Financial Decisions When Remarrying