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Hi everyone, I’m Dr. Michael Mantell with another Family Law Matters with Bonnie Rabinovitch Mantel, who is the owner and managing partner of the very esteemed Primus Family Law Group. Hi, Bonnie. Hi, Michael.

It’s so nice to see you today, or at least, you know, see you online. See you online, the way we all see each other these days, except for parents and children, although some parents and children see each other this way too, co-parenting, right? And especially over the summer months, that’s really upon us right now. Kids are going to be shuffled and shuttled back and forth with parents having this time, that time, kids went off to camp, it’s my time.

Boy, what a bunch of questions. Tell me about how you, as the owner and managing partner with your teammates at Primus Family Law, handle these specific issues that come up over the summer. You know, Primus Family Law, we try very hard to take into account what’s happening, not just with our clients who are the adults in the matter, but also the children.

So you brought up an interesting, you know, commentary about they’re getting shuffled back and forth during the summer. Often people’s custodial arrangement changes in the summer because the kids are off from school, and so there’s more available hours for the parents to share. The problem is, is that parents still have to work.

So you’ve got kids that are either having them be in daycare, and then all of a sudden you have this added expense that the parents have to share. Or you also have kids who want to do certain activities, you know, summer camps, week-long camps, and now the parents are having to figure out that sort of whether they agree, do they want the child to do it, because it is all very expensive as we live in San Diego. What we try to do when we’re counseling our clients, Michael, is remember the kids.

You know, obviously we can’t afford to have them in everything that they want to do, but if your child says, you know, hey, there’s a soccer camp this summer, and it’s on mom’s time, or mom’s going to sign me up, and dad, will you take me? Take him. Take little Johnny to soccer camp. Why? Because it helps build self-esteem for your child, also keeps the child safe, usually during the day while you’re at work, and it shows your child that you’re able to agree on even minor issues with their other parent, because they take it all in, as you well know, Michael.

You deal with the fallout of them taking it all in, and then needing to come see a life coach like you to sort it all out. Yeah, I mean, you’ve put, you’ve really nailed it as I thought you would. This summertime, especially with more time available to kids, additional expenses, it, you know, it taxes the adults to keep in perspective what their job, their role, their responsibility really is, and it’s ultimately not, this is going to cost me a fortune.

Why isn’t he or she paying? What can we do for the kids? How do we get it? It’s an opportunity. You know, a famous life coach once told me, it’s not always happening to you. You think it’s happening to you, but it’s really happening for you.

These bumps in the road and trying to co-parent with your significant, well, you’re the parent of the child, it’ll give you an opportunity to show your kids, to teach your kids a lesson that, you know, you may be in a relationship or you’re no longer in a relationship, but you’re still going to act like a grown-up and do what’s right for the child, because that’s what we do as parents. We sacrifice our own pride and ego, and we do what’s right for our kids. When I say to a parent in a coaching session, what do you think this behavior is teaching your child? And when your child picks up a broom and is going to hit his sister, what do you think they get this from? What do you think they get this anger? And I don’t have to do that.

You should do it. And parents sit back, and I wish more parents would be hearing the counsel, the wise counsel that they’re receiving from you at Primus Family Law. If people want to be in touch and share the difficulties you’re having and want some guidance as to how to get through this co-parenting over the summer, how can they be in touch with you? Michael, they can reach out to us at 619-574-8000, and if they need a resolution to a family law issue, you’ll get on my calendar for a 30-minute free consultation.

You can also reach out to us online at www.PrimusFamilyLaw.com. You know, Michael, our website also provides a lot of resources, and there’s a lot of amazing co-parenting classes that people can do online, a few hours, that would also give them some skills or some ideas on how to help themselves cope with the other parent. That sounds great, Bonnie. Thanks for another wonderful Family Law Matters.

We’ll see you next time. Thanks, Michael. Have a great day.