With your divorce, a parenting plan will be put in to place that will let you get on with the business of living and still ensure you can see your children on a regular basis. One of the biggest sticking points we see in family law in Florida is sharing special events. Yet deciding on visitation schedules and coordinating the transfer of your children from one parent to another doesn't have to be a painful experience or one that leaves you emotionally wrecked - it can be something that reinforces the best parts of your relationship with your children and your strengths as a parent.

Here are several tips to help guide you as you make your plans:

Since kids are still growing, they need nutritious lunches to help them develop and grow strong. However, when you're considering a divorce, divorced or are in the process of searching for a child custody attorney in Florida, you might not have time to spend hours preparing meals. Packing healthy lunches is simpler than you think. Here are 10 easy ideas for school lunch to help you and your kids get out of the door in time.

1. Pasta salad
This lunch is simple to make after having leftover pasta from dinner. Spoon a couple of scoops into your child's lunch container, add cheese and sliced salami for some calcium and protein. You could also add sauces and salad dressings or sprinkle seasonings like oregano to make the pasta salad more flavorful.

2. Turkey and cheese wraps 
Taking just a few minutes to prepare, wraps are both quick to make and versatile enough to please your pickiest eaters. To make a turkey wrap, start with a flour tortilla. Add a couple of turkey slices and layers of lettuce and cheese and then roll up the wrap. Substitute turkey with ham or other proteins and add on other vegetables like tomato or avocado for a healthier lunch. 

3. Macaroni and cheese
Mac and cheese is a classic and it's simple to cook the night before from scratch. Cook the macaroni according to the directions on the package. In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat and stir in 1/4 cup flour. Gradually add 2 cups of milk while continuing to stir the milk until bubbly. Stir in the cheese until it's melted and combine the cheese mixture and macaroni together.

4. Barbeque chicken sandwiches
BBQ chicken sandwiches don't require a ton of prep time when you buy a rotisserie chicken, which can be used to create lunches and dinners throughout the week. Slice off a couple of large pieces of chicken and shred the chicken meat using two forks. Toss the shredded chicken with barbeque sauce and then place a hamburger bun next to it.

5. Cheese quesadillas
Similar to a grilled cheese sandwich, quesadillas are made by melting cheese between two tortillas. Heat a skillet on medium heat and place in a flour tortilla. Cover the tortilla with shredded cheese (such as pepper jack or cheddar). Wait for a few minutes until the cheese starts to melt and add fillings: cooked chicken, avocado, and more. Sprinkle more cheese and top the quesadilla with another tortilla. Press down using a spatula and then flip it over to melt the cheese on the other side of the quesadilla.

6. Tacos
Start by cooking 1 pound of lean ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes. Stir the beef occasionally until brown. Drain the juices from skillet. Stir in salsa into the cooked beef and heat until boiling. Stir and reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 5 minutes while stirring. Place the beef inside the lunch container and put some taco cheese mix and lettuce into a separate plastic bag. 

7. Tuna salad sandwich
As another classic staple for lunch, a tuna salad sandwich lets you combine all ingredients into a bowl for an easy clean-up. Start with tuna inside a medium bowl. Add mayonnaise, mustard, chopped celery and red onion into the bowl and stir until combined well. You could remove the red onion and any other ingredients you think your child won't eat. 

8. Apples and dipping sauces
Kids love to dip their food in different sauces, which can allow them to make more nutritious choices. Instead of giving kids a snack cake or brownie for dessert, give them a healthier alternative: apples. Make apples tastier with a small serving of caramel dip or some spoonfuls of peanut butter.

9. Yogurt parfait
Yogurt is great for kids because it contains protein and calcium. Wash and slice some fruits you think your kids will like, such as strawberries, blueberries or raspberries. Begin making the parfait by adding a few spoonfuls of yogurt. Greek-style yogurt has more calcium than regular yogurt and is also creamier for a delicious parfait. Layer the fruits onto the yogurt and add some more spoonfuls of yogurt.

10. Fettucine alfredo
As a cheap lunch, you can make fettucine alfredo. Start by preparing the fettucine according to the package directions. Remove from heat and drain the noodles. Heat the alfredo sauce in a sauce pan until heated through and add the fettucine and mix until the pasta is covered. Add salt and pepper to taste.

For more information regarding a potential child custody attorney in Florida, contact Kenny Leigh and Associates. This professional family law firm serves Northeast Florida and South Florida with five offices: Jacksonville, Gainesville, Fleming Island, Daytona and Boca Raton.

Going through a divorce isn't easy. Once you start back into the dating world, you may meet someone who has children. Later down the line, these children become your stepchildren. This is a very special relationship and takes some patience, understanding and a lot of love. These helpful do’s of being a step day can assist you greatly.

1. Do Spend Time Doing What They Like
They may want their biological father at their sporting events, but that doesn't mean they don't want you there, too. Go to their baseball games and dance recitals. If they like to go bowling, why not plan a Saturday family bowling day? The zoo is fun for everyone. The important thing is making an effort to have fun with them. The more active you are in spending time with them, the more they will warm up to you. Don't hesitate to invite them to spend time doing what you love, whether it be fishing, biking or tennis.

2. Do Open up the Line of Communication
Your new stepchildren might be hesitant to accept you in their lives. That doesn't mean you give up, instead approach them. Let them know you're here to listen and to advise when they need it. Let them know you care about them and how they're feeling.

3. Do Respect their Mother's Wishes
If their mother thinks eating chocolate before dinner and staying up past 9 on a school night are acceptable, you have to respect her wishes, even if she's only trying to keep up with what the other parents are doing. Don't undermine her authority. If you do have concerns, you should express them to her only when the children aren't around. Never tell the children they can do something just to be the "cool" step dad. While you might be scoring brownie points with the kids, your relationship with their mother may suffer because of it.

4. Do Be a Dad
Do act like a father to the children. Treat them like you would/do treat your own children; never insist they call you dad though. They probably already have a father, who they love, so don't step on his toes. There may come a time when they call you dad, but don't expect it to happen right away or force it upon them. To be a dad, you should help them with their homework and teach them new skills. You should inquire about their day and take an interest in their schooling.

5. Do Respect Their Privacy
If you have kids of your own, you may have dealt with the fact that preteens and teenagers need their space. If not, here's the time to learn about boundaries and respect. Don't enter their rooms without knocking and don't listen in on their telephone calls. If you want step children who resent you – or if you really want to hear the dreaded "You're not my real dad," – overstepping boundaries will surely accomplish this.  

6. Do Set a Good Example
You're a vital person in the children's lives now. They look up to you. Make sure you give them something worth looking up to. For instance, don't partake in negative behaviors such as recreational drugs, obsessive gambling or binge drinking. If you smoke, do it outside. Watch your language around younger children who may repeat profanities or foul language.

Being a step parent isn't easy, but keep in mind that being a stepchild isn't always easy either. By being a good role model, someone they can talk to and by taking the time to get to know them, you can become a great step dad.

It does not matter what kind of foundation it is, if it is cracked, it will eventually fall. Houses, relationships – they are all the same. A home shared between married couples could be the single most valuable asset in a marriage, but it may end up being a point of contention in the divorce given its emotion and financial value. You should both understand the economic and legal realities of the situation before making any rash decisions, especially if there are children involved. Your first step should be to look up a divorce attorney for men in Boca Raton, Jacksonville, Gainesville, Fleming Island and Daytona.

Finding new creative ways to entertain your kids with every change of season can seem like a challenge. Kenny Leigh and Associates has compiled this list of fun fall time activities to prepare you for many days of fun activities with your children. As you go along, you are sure to discover that there are some activities on the list that your kids will want to do more frequently than others, so you'll likely find that many days will be spontaneously filled with pastimes that they especially enjoy.

Since autumn only comes once a year, it's an opportunity to get out and spend time in the cool weather and splendid scenery while doing many fun activities with your kids. Remember some of your favorite fall season pastimes from your own childhood, add them to the list, and give them a try with your kids. Chances are that they will enjoy them too. And, you will find that the more fun you're actually having, the more fun your kids are likely to have with you.

Another very effective way to ensure that your kids have a great time with you is to simply ask them what they really enjoy doing. In fact, your first fun activity could be to have them help you make a list of things they enjoy. Depending upon their ages and temperaments, they may answer that they want to do, "nothing". Or, they may list many activities so rapidly that you can't keep up to write them all down.

At Kenny Leigh and Associates, we want to help make it easy for you to identify ways to make the very most of your opportunities to have great times and make special memories with your children. We hope that you will use this list of activities to make the very most of opportunities for you and your kids to share delightful times together during this fall season.

Get Outdoors

Pick some apples
Go out and look at the fall leaves
Find your local corn maze and get lost in it
Go for a ride on a hot air balloon ride
Play touch-football
Go hiking
Take a hayride
Go out and collect some beautiful fall leaves
Rent a cabin in the woods or mountains
Go tailgating at a football game
Plant your flower bulbs for next spring
Have a foot race
Go for a drive through the countryside

Remember the good old days

Make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches
Make a bird feeder from pinecones
Visit a bake sale
Borrow a book from the library
Make Rice Krispy treats
Buy a new notebook
Jump in a pile of leaves

Eat and drink

Shop at a farmers' market
Bake cookies
Cook dinner together
Make smoothies
Barbeque
Marshmallow roast
Make a big batch chili

Holiday

Make Halloween costumes for yourself and the kids
Visit a haunted house
Watch an old favorite scary movie on Halloween
Carve your own Jack O Lantern
Have a Halloween party
Host a potluck Thanksgiving dinner
Greet trick o' treaters

Just for kicks

Sit outside and chit chat in the cool air
Walk in the crunchy fallen leaves
Do some early Christmas shopping
Find a good spot to watch the birds migrating for winter
Make a bonfire
Gather pinecones and create a display
Go to a kid's league sports game
Go to a local fall festival
Take turns saying what you're all thankful for

More fun ideas

Day at the playground
Throw a Frisbee
Pitch and catch
Play Hide & Seek
Go to a live musical performance
Take pictures of fall foliage
Fly a kite
Go fishing
Go-carts
Miniature golf
Batting cages
Driving range
Badminton
Card games (Go Fish, Crazy Eights)
Board games (many, chess, checkers)
Play I Spy
Fall picnic
Bike ride
Flashlight Tag
Star watching
Puzzles
Children's crafts projects
Painting pictures
Kid-friendly exercise
YMCA activities
Lie flat and watch the clouds go by

As your kids grow, you may discover that you share mutual interests with them. You might even develop some hobbies together that you can do year-round. And, you are sure to establish some fall time events that will grow into seasonal traditions for you and your kids. In addition to the above activities list from Kenny Leigh and Associates, there is an abundance of resources for ideas on activities to do with your kids. With all these great activities, you're sure to have many special times this fall and throughout the year that you and your children will remember forever.