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2 weekends/month across state lines?

loulou18's picture

We currently have the kids 2 weekends a month, spring break, and 2/3 of the summer. My husband has been out of work for almost a year but has been doing consulting work to pay the bills, however this forces us to move constantly and it's not steady income. We are currently in California but we think he's going to get a job offer in Arizona soon. We've never been that far away from the kids before.

Has anyone done 2 weekends per month across state boundaries where the kids had to fly? How did you pull it off? Were the kids ok with it? (They are 13 right now, btw.) I would love some insight on sharing time across state boundaries. TIA

Comments

Harry's picture

Every other weekend.  That job your husband better pay really great. Do you know how much the airline tickets are going to be  $300 a kid times two times $1200 a month in airfair ontop of CS 

Cooooookies's picture

I live across the ocean from my DS17.  As such, I only see him during the summer.  If flights were free and work gave unlimited vacation time, I'd see him all the time.  However that just isn't reality.  As Harry said, it will get very expensive for flights.  That doesn't even include CS or what you'd spend on them while they're with you.

It might be worth re-visiting the CO.  If BM is reasonable, perhaps it could work out temporarily that you change the visitation schedule.  But I would make sure your DH gets the visitation at least temporarily altered.  For legal and expense reasons.

justmakingthebest's picture

I would think that the cost of that would be extreme and hard on the kids. Usually in those circumstances there is the old "out of state standard visitation".

Most of summer, spring break, every other Thanksgiving, and 1/2 of Christmas break. You can probably throw in a couple of 3 day holiday weekends too.

TwoOfUs's picture

Ew...no.

Never had to deal with this, but air travel makes me tired. I wouldn't put those kids through that twice every month...it's too much. And, at their ages, they're going to start having weekend things they want to do with friends or even extracurriculars they have to do. 

You'll be much better off going for longer visits less frequently. 

young_step_mom's picture

We are across state lines and only visit once a month because of what the above posters mentioned.  We had also planned two weekends a month originally but it was waaaay too expensive.  Even now, I feel like we're pushing it and not leaving too much room for emergency expenses but it is what it is.  Maybe you guys can try once every six weeks or on three day weekends only or something like that, plus summer/winter etc.