The Start of the School Year Sparks the Same Disputes Among Divorced Parents. Most Often Over After-School Clubs
For most families, the start of the school year means a return to a regular routine. However, for separated parents, it often brings up questions that are far from easy to agree on. Who will drive the child to their after-school activities? How do you combine the school timetable with joint custody arrangements? And what if each parent has a different idea of how many activities are "just right" for the child, or how much emphasis should be placed on academics versus leisure time and interests?
Experience from family mediation shows that organising the school year is one of the most common issues parents face after a breakup. It is not just about logistics, either. Decisions about extra-curricular activities, school responsibilities, or transport often reveal how well parents are able to co-operate and find solutions that are genuinely in the child's best interests. At the same time, these everyday situations can present an opportunity to strengthen the child's relationship with both parents and show them that, even after a separation, their parents can still pull together.
"In mediation, the same topics keep recurring before and during the start of the school year. After-school clubs, school supplies, timetable changes, or preparation for secondary school entrance exams often spark a discussion about what is most important for the child at that given moment. One parent emphasizes academic performance and study, while the other doesn't want the child to miss out on their interests and free time. These are situations that even parents living together would have to resolve, but after a breakup, finding common ground is much more complicated. This is precisely where mediation can help find a solution that respects both the child's needs and the options of both parents," agree solicitors and registered mediators Andrea Vyskočilová and Michaela Radoušová.
After-School Clubs Can Strain—or Strengthen—Relationships
In practice, the parent looking after the child at that specific time usually takes them to their activity. However, this is not always the only solution. Many parents manage to arrange things differently—for instance, one parent might regularly drive the child to sports training even when they are in the other parent's care that week.
According to Andrea Vyskočilová, the journey to an after-school club represents much more than mere logistics. "Occasionally, we hear that one of the parents doesn't want to be 'just a taxi driver'. I must admit, it always saddens me a little. In reality, the car ride is often one of the few quiet moments when a child talks to their parent uninterrupted. Furthermore, the child senses that the parent supports their interests naturally and over the long term, which can be far more valuable than a few extra hours spent together."
It is not just about who drives the child to their activity, either. What matters much more to the child is that their interests do not trigger further conflicts, and that both parents are able to co-operate even after separating.
From Legal Practice
Following a family breakdown due to domestic violence, parents managed to find only one single area of agreement—the father began regularly driving his daughter to her favourite after-school club. Initially, the child was very afraid of him and refused contact.
"Yet those few minutes in the car gradually became a safe space where at least a basic level of communication began to form between them. Not every story has a fairy-tale ending, but even a seemingly ordinary trip to an after-school club can be an important step for a child towards rebuilding a relationship with a parent," describes Michaela Radoušová.
The story has been anonymised and certain details modified to protect the family's identity.
When Parents Disagree, the Child Pays the Price
Choosing after-school activities is a frequent source of dispute. If parents fail to find common ground, the child sometimes ends up attending no activities at all, or has to adapt their interests depending on which parent they are staying with.
"After-school clubs should never be used as a means to restrict a child's contact with the other parent. At the same time, it is wrong to prevent a child from participating in an activity they enjoy and care about. Parents should seek a solution that primarily respects the child's needs and set their own conflicts aside," says Andrea Vyskočilová.
According to Michaela Radoušová, such situations show that parents sometimes confuse their time with the child with the right to decide every single detail of their life. "A child is not a possession to be divided up based on the number of hours. They have their own interests, relationships, and needs. If a certain activity is important to the child and they have enjoyed it long-term, it is not right to cancel it simply because it interferes with one parent's parenting time."
From Legal Practice
A similar principle was addressed by the Constitutional Court in the case of a young boy who attended a youth fire brigade club. The father disagreed with his son attending the activity during the times he was supposed to be in his care.
The Constitutional Court emphasised that a child should not be cut off from their interests, friends, and normal life while spending time with a parent. At the same time, it reiterated that custody arrangements cannot be based solely on a precise mathematical division of time between parents.
"Court rulings increasingly confirm that it is not about a mathematical balance between parents, but about the best interest of the child. Joint custody does not automatically mean an exact 50:50 model," explains Michaela Radoušová.
Life Cannot Be Planned by Court Order
The start of the school year often reveals that agreements or court rulings that worked a few months ago no longer fit the new reality. A child may have a new timetable, different activity schedules, or new interests.
"No parenting plan is set in stone. Life doesn't run like a train timetable, and parents must be able to adapt as the child grows and their needs change. Indeed, a parent's ability to communicate and adapt to new circumstances is often far more important for the child than a perfectly structured routine," says Andrea Vyskočilová.
Practical Questions Deserve Practical Solutions
It is precisely these recurring situations around custody organisation, after-school activities, school duties, or shared expenses that have shown parents often don't need more advice—they need a simple system to help manage day-to-day operations without unnecessary misunderstandings. That is why the mobile app app2us Family was created.
"In mediation, we repeatedly see that the problem itself isn't who picks up the child or pays for an activity, but rather that parents lack a shared system where all information is clearly organized in one place. That is why we created an app designed to solve the everyday practicalities of life after separation," concludes Andrea Vyskočilová.
Photo: AI generated
For most families, the start of the school year means a return to a regular routine. However, for separated parents, it often brings up questions that are far from easy to agree on. Who will drive the child to their after-school activities? How do you combine the school timetable with joint custody arrangements? And what if each parent has a different idea of how many activities are "just right" for the child, or how much emphasis should be placed on academics versus leisure time and interests?
Experience from family mediation shows that organising the school year is one of the most common issues parents face after a breakup. It is not just about logistics, either. Decisions about extra-curricular activities, school responsibilities, or transport often reveal how well parents are able to co-operate and find solutions that are genuinely in the child's best interests. At the same time, these everyday situations can present an opportunity to strengthen the child's relationship with both parents and show them that, even after a separation, their parents can still pull together.
"In mediation, the same topics keep recurring before and during the start of the school year. After-school clubs, school supplies, timetable changes, or preparation for secondary school entrance exams often spark a discussion about what is most important for the child at that given moment. One parent emphasizes academic performance and study, while the other doesn't want the child to miss out on their interests and free time. These are situations that even parents living together would have to resolve, but after a breakup, finding common ground is much more complicated. This is precisely where mediation can help find a solution that respects both the child's needs and the options of both parents," agree solicitors and registered mediators Andrea Vyskočilová and Michaela Radoušová.
After-School Clubs Can Strain—or Strengthen—Relationships
In practice, the parent looking after the child at that specific time usually takes them to their activity. However, this is not always the only solution. Many parents manage to arrange things differently—for instance, one parent might regularly drive the child to sports training even when they are in the other parent's care that week.
According to Andrea Vyskočilová, the journey to an after-school club represents much more than mere logistics. "Occasionally, we hear that one of the parents doesn't want to be 'just a taxi driver'. I must admit, it always saddens me a little. In reality, the car ride is often one of the few quiet moments when a child talks to their parent uninterrupted. Furthermore, the child senses that the parent supports their interests naturally and over the long term, which can be far more valuable than a few extra hours spent together."
It is not just about who drives the child to their activity, either. What matters much more to the child is that their interests do not trigger further conflicts, and that both parents are able to co-operate even after separating.
From Legal Practice
Following a family breakdown due to domestic violence, parents managed to find only one single area of agreement—the father began regularly driving his daughter to her favourite after-school club. Initially, the child was very afraid of him and refused contact.
"Yet those few minutes in the car gradually became a safe space where at least a basic level of communication began to form between them. Not every story has a fairy-tale ending, but even a seemingly ordinary trip to an after-school club can be an important step for a child towards rebuilding a relationship with a parent," describes Michaela Radoušová.
The story has been anonymised and certain details modified to protect the family's identity.
When Parents Disagree, the Child Pays the Price
Choosing after-school activities is a frequent source of dispute. If parents fail to find common ground, the child sometimes ends up attending no activities at all, or has to adapt their interests depending on which parent they are staying with.
"After-school clubs should never be used as a means to restrict a child's contact with the other parent. At the same time, it is wrong to prevent a child from participating in an activity they enjoy and care about. Parents should seek a solution that primarily respects the child's needs and set their own conflicts aside," says Andrea Vyskočilová.
According to Michaela Radoušová, such situations show that parents sometimes confuse their time with the child with the right to decide every single detail of their life. "A child is not a possession to be divided up based on the number of hours. They have their own interests, relationships, and needs. If a certain activity is important to the child and they have enjoyed it long-term, it is not right to cancel it simply because it interferes with one parent's parenting time."
From Legal Practice
A similar principle was addressed by the Constitutional Court in the case of a young boy who attended a youth fire brigade club. The father disagreed with his son attending the activity during the times he was supposed to be in his care.
The Constitutional Court emphasised that a child should not be cut off from their interests, friends, and normal life while spending time with a parent. At the same time, it reiterated that custody arrangements cannot be based solely on a precise mathematical division of time between parents.
"Court rulings increasingly confirm that it is not about a mathematical balance between parents, but about the best interest of the child. Joint custody does not automatically mean an exact 50:50 model," explains Michaela Radoušová.
Life Cannot Be Planned by Court Order
The start of the school year often reveals that agreements or court rulings that worked a few months ago no longer fit the new reality. A child may have a new timetable, different activity schedules, or new interests.
"No parenting plan is set in stone. Life doesn't run like a train timetable, and parents must be able to adapt as the child grows and their needs change. Indeed, a parent's ability to communicate and adapt to new circumstances is often far more important for the child than a perfectly structured routine," says Andrea Vyskočilová.
Practical Questions Deserve Practical Solutions
It is precisely these recurring situations around custody organisation, after-school activities, school duties, or shared expenses that have shown parents often don't need more advice—they need a simple system to help manage day-to-day operations without unnecessary misunderstandings. That is why the mobile app app2us Family was created.
"In mediation, we repeatedly see that the problem itself isn't who picks up the child or pays for an activity, but rather that parents lack a shared system where all information is clearly organized in one place. That is why we created an app designed to solve the everyday practicalities of life after separation," concludes Andrea Vyskočilová.
Photo: AI generated
For most families, the start of the school year means a return to a regular routine. However, for separated parents, it often brings up questions that are far from easy to agree on. Who will drive the child to their after-school activities? How do you combine the school timetable with joint custody arrangements? And what if each parent has a different idea of how many activities are "just right" for the child, or how much emphasis should be placed on academics versus leisure time and interests?
Experience from family mediation shows that organising the school year is one of the most common issues parents face after a breakup. It is not just about logistics, either. Decisions about extra-curricular activities, school responsibilities, or transport often reveal how well parents are able to co-operate and find solutions that are genuinely in the child's best interests. At the same time, these everyday situations can present an opportunity to strengthen the child's relationship with both parents and show them that, even after a separation, their parents can still pull together.
"In mediation, the same topics keep recurring before and during the start of the school year. After-school clubs, school supplies, timetable changes, or preparation for secondary school entrance exams often spark a discussion about what is most important for the child at that given moment. One parent emphasizes academic performance and study, while the other doesn't want the child to miss out on their interests and free time. These are situations that even parents living together would have to resolve, but after a breakup, finding common ground is much more complicated. This is precisely where mediation can help find a solution that respects both the child's needs and the options of both parents," agree solicitors and registered mediators Andrea Vyskočilová and Michaela Radoušová.
After-School Clubs Can Strain—or Strengthen—Relationships
In practice, the parent looking after the child at that specific time usually takes them to their activity. However, this is not always the only solution. Many parents manage to arrange things differently—for instance, one parent might regularly drive the child to sports training even when they are in the other parent's care that week.
According to Andrea Vyskočilová, the journey to an after-school club represents much more than mere logistics. "Occasionally, we hear that one of the parents doesn't want to be 'just a taxi driver'. I must admit, it always saddens me a little. In reality, the car ride is often one of the few quiet moments when a child talks to their parent uninterrupted. Furthermore, the child senses that the parent supports their interests naturally and over the long term, which can be far more valuable than a few extra hours spent together."
It is not just about who drives the child to their activity, either. What matters much more to the child is that their interests do not trigger further conflicts, and that both parents are able to co-operate even after separating.
From Legal Practice
Following a family breakdown due to domestic violence, parents managed to find only one single area of agreement—the father began regularly driving his daughter to her favourite after-school club. Initially, the child was very afraid of him and refused contact.
"Yet those few minutes in the car gradually became a safe space where at least a basic level of communication began to form between them. Not every story has a fairy-tale ending, but even a seemingly ordinary trip to an after-school club can be an important step for a child towards rebuilding a relationship with a parent," describes Michaela Radoušová.
The story has been anonymised and certain details modified to protect the family's identity.
When Parents Disagree, the Child Pays the Price
Choosing after-school activities is a frequent source of dispute. If parents fail to find common ground, the child sometimes ends up attending no activities at all, or has to adapt their interests depending on which parent they are staying with.
"After-school clubs should never be used as a means to restrict a child's contact with the other parent. At the same time, it is wrong to prevent a child from participating in an activity they enjoy and care about. Parents should seek a solution that primarily respects the child's needs and set their own conflicts aside," says Andrea Vyskočilová.
According to Michaela Radoušová, such situations show that parents sometimes confuse their time with the child with the right to decide every single detail of their life. "A child is not a possession to be divided up based on the number of hours. They have their own interests, relationships, and needs. If a certain activity is important to the child and they have enjoyed it long-term, it is not right to cancel it simply because it interferes with one parent's parenting time."
From Legal Practice
A similar principle was addressed by the Constitutional Court in the case of a young boy who attended a youth fire brigade club. The father disagreed with his son attending the activity during the times he was supposed to be in his care.
The Constitutional Court emphasised that a child should not be cut off from their interests, friends, and normal life while spending time with a parent. At the same time, it reiterated that custody arrangements cannot be based solely on a precise mathematical division of time between parents.
"Court rulings increasingly confirm that it is not about a mathematical balance between parents, but about the best interest of the child. Joint custody does not automatically mean an exact 50:50 model," explains Michaela Radoušová.
Life Cannot Be Planned by Court Order
The start of the school year often reveals that agreements or court rulings that worked a few months ago no longer fit the new reality. A child may have a new timetable, different activity schedules, or new interests.
"No parenting plan is set in stone. Life doesn't run like a train timetable, and parents must be able to adapt as the child grows and their needs change. Indeed, a parent's ability to communicate and adapt to new circumstances is often far more important for the child than a perfectly structured routine," says Andrea Vyskočilová.
Practical Questions Deserve Practical Solutions
It is precisely these recurring situations around custody organisation, after-school activities, school duties, or shared expenses that have shown parents often don't need more advice—they need a simple system to help manage day-to-day operations without unnecessary misunderstandings. That is why the mobile app app2us Family was created.
"In mediation, we repeatedly see that the problem itself isn't who picks up the child or pays for an activity, but rather that parents lack a shared system where all information is clearly organized in one place. That is why we created an app designed to solve the everyday practicalities of life after separation," concludes Andrea Vyskočilová.
Photo: AI generated