By Jake Hornstein & Greg Hill, Our Children Have Rights
One of the more difficult areas to address in Parenting Plans is extracurricular activities. These are optional activities, like swimming lessons, soccer and dance lessons. With shared decision-making, participation may be determined by each parent on the days they have time-sharing. This is addressed in the parenting plan. Parenting plan considerations include:
- Decision-Making
- Scheduling
- Transportation
What if a parent believes an activity traditionally considered “extra-curricular” is too important to be optional, and should be mandatory? We want to discuss water safety and swim lessons. It deserves attention and it’s getting attention. In a matter of time, it will be a hot topic for parenting plans.
In 2021, the Florida Legislature passed “Every Child a Swimmer”. This legislation requires all schools in the state to provide parents with information on the importance of water safety and local options for swimming lessons, as well as how to receive lessons at a free or reduced cost.
4,000 lives are lost from drowning each year nationwide. Florida leads the nation. Drowning is the #1 cause of unintentional deaths for children ages 1-4. The numbers are daunting… 97 child deaths in 2023 and 105 children in 2024. Florida has over 1.5 million backyard pools and thousands of natural bodies of water. Awareness is crucial.
Thanks to the state legislature, and champions like Bill Kent, chairman of the board of the International Swimming Hall of Fame, each public school provides parents with informational materials on the role swimming lessons and water safety play in saving lives, including affordable options for lessons and safety courses. The goal of Every Child a Swimmer is to empower every child with life-saving swimming skills and create a culture of water safety awareness. Educating parents means encouraging swimming lessons, which reduce the risk of drowning by 88%.
With daunting statistics, an abundance of readily available Water Safety Tips, and greater access to swimming lessons, more parents are insisting their child participate in swimming lessons. To avoid their child missing out on swimming lessons while with the co-parent, some parents want participation required in the parenting plan. There will be disagreements on decision-making. It will cause disputes due to factors like scheduling and transportation. And it will make plans more complicated for co-parents who aren’t in sync on required participation. When disagreements are prolonged and parents can’t agree, a judge decides! Each parent has less control over the outcome. When parents can anticipate these disagreements, better understand each other’s concerns, they are more likely to develop a plan they can agree on without the decision being left to the courts.
Why? Because Every Child A Swimmer.
Our Children Have Rights is a 501c3 nonprofit that assists parents with child custody and co-parenting, at no cost to the family. If you need assistance, contact us, and visit www.ochr.org