I was a SAHM this summer because I had a baby last year. Next week, I go back to work as a teacher so I will still have the summmer off. We have my SD's the month of July, so this summer I watched them while my DH worked. He is self-employed and summer is very slow for him, so he managed to take 2 weeks off as well. I assume it will work this way every summer. We failed to ask for an abatement of CS during the month of July when they are with us, so we still had to pay CS in addition to the expenses for the girls plus send BM money. It has definitely been a strain at a lean time for us. Thankfully, I will get my first paycheck at the end of August, and we can start trying to catch up. We paid 100% of all activities that our family did while they were here.

Here's my exact question I guess... how would he do it with out you there? Ok he got two weeks off. I Just don't understand how a "summer visitation" schedule could work unless the kids were old enough or the NCP had a support system.

Lucky you, getting your first paycheck just in time to buy school clothes and supplies.

CS is a whole different issue like you said he still had to pay even though the kids were with him. It should be adjusted if they are spending an extended period of time with the NCP.

In Florida, the kids start back to school August 20, so I actually won't get my first check until they are back in school. So yeah things are really tight. Paying CS and buying supplies and clothes for 4 kids. Don't know how they bills are getting paid this month. God will provide.

My DH definitely could not have had them for the month of July without me. In fact, before we were married, he didn't He just continued to have them every weekend and he took off 2 weeks for vacation and he had them then.

We made a big mistake by not addressing the CS issue in mediation when he was awarded the month of July.

Not anytime soon..(3-5 yrs).. but hubby has talked about moving to be closer to his aging parents who live in florida. He has primary custody... So wondering how it would/could be worked out with the children and visitation. They would be old enough to be a part of the decision process by then (I guess).

I guess if BM had them for the summer, they would be old enough to stay home alone while she worked by then? The only thing bad about whole summer visits with teenagers is they usually have friends, activities, and jobs (hopefully!)they don't want to leave for the whole summer. We live relatively close to my SD's so they can come and go, but my oldest SD's best friend has divorced parents and BF lives in Rhode Island. The last couple of summers she has only gone to visit him for like 2 weeks because she just doesn't want to be away from all of her social life for a whole summer (understandable for a teenager). This last summer, she went for 2 weeks and her boyfriend went with her so she would have someone her own age. At that age, visitation just gets tricky.

Trust me, it is not any easier for this mom, with a child who says she is too old for camp. She worked the first 6 weeks, but of course her hours were much less than mine, and she had to get a ride to work. GRRR. She will spend one week with her dad. I have relied on college girls, etc.

My ex is supposed to have our child for a 2 week period each summer. But, he is not able to get time off work during the summer because that is when his job is the busiest. And he does not have any stay at home family or friends to babysit during the day. I do have a close friend that lives in the same town as him and is a SAHM. I told him before that HE could pay her to babysit during his work hours on his 2 week visitation if he had nobody else, but he passed on that idea. (I would not expect cs while my child is gone for 2 weeks) He has never taken the 2 weeks though. I have always made it known to him that when he ends up with extra days off he can always call and make arrangements to spend them with our child, so he has done that.

As much as sometimes I think that I would love that break, I know that 2 weeks away from my child would be difficult. We have never been apart that long! I am even going crazy with my sk's being gone so long this summer! A few days and they will be home :)

I do always find the childcare situation funny though because I have always worked and had to make daycare/sitter arrangements for our child. I was never able to just say "well then you keep him!" (I guess my ex just gets off easy on not having to do that) I am a teacher, but of course when our child was in pre-school and kindergarten he still needed care for half the day. And even know he attends before/afterschool care for about an hour or so a day.

It my state, the child support regulation take into account a two week summer stay with the NCP as well as EOW visitation. The total for the year is computed, and then divided by 52, so there is no reason to seek an abatement of child support if the child visits the NCP for two weeks. Unfortunately, daycare is not computed separately, so the CP has to pay for that out of her (or his) pocket. I don't know what I would have done if I hadn't had older kids. My exH refused to allow the children to visit if he knew I had to take another child to college, for instance.

Well that is better my X. He virtually refuses to take child.