Recently divorced parents face the challenge of adjusting their schedules for their children. There’s doctor appointments, sports practices, school, and the time you get to bond with your child — parenting time that now needs to be divided up.
Our goal is to help parents co-parent effectively when the case is over. We encourage parents to always put the needs of their children first when involved in a divorce and figure out the best way for them to do that.
If both parents agree that co-parenting their children is the most important thing to their family, building a custody schedule by week, month, or year is doable. Here are some of our tips on communicating, creating a co-parenting schedule, and helping children adjust to the changes that come after a divorce.
Tips for Shared Parenting
Kids don’t need to spend the majority of time in one home.
It’s more important for children to have emotional stability than geographical stability. Emotional stability is critical for healthy development and many parents underestimate their ability to adapt to new communities and relationships.
Organize the calendar to suit your (the parent’s) circumstances, not the kids.
One parent, or sometimes both, needs to move out and into a different home. The initial schedule may need to be temporary until the other parent is settled into their new home. This is when good communication between parents is essential.
If infants are involved, it takes special consideration; both parents should be involved.
Many believe that it’s crucial for mothers to be with infants round-the-clock for healthy development. However, there is no research to support this. It’s perfectly fine for the other parent to spend a night with the infant. Infants should be accustomed to the other parent coming to take care of them, and this is important bonding time for parents and child.