The Aftermath of Divorce: Is Shared Parenting a Good Idea?

There is no arguing the fact that divorce is an equally difficult time for both parties. What’s more, is that these parents are not alone in this struggle – their children are equally distressed.
Deciding that it’s better to part ways than to stay together is not the only thing that the two people in question have to decide. What happens to the children is a major part of this process.
In the past, the common opinion was that the children should stay with the mothers only since they are better providers of love and care more than their fathers. That is an outdated view of todays society.

Parenting experts and even several psychologists are of the opinion that children need to have healthy relationships with both parents if they wish to grow up being well-adjusted adults.

Spending time with both the parents when they are still together is, of course, easier than when they divorced. While it may be difficult, it is definitely not impossible. Shared parenting is a concept that allows children to establish strong bonds with both their parents even if they are not together anymore.

Shared parenting for a divorced family can be a wonderful thing since both the father and the mother bring their own share of positives to the table. And just because they are not together anymore does not mean the child should miss out on those positive lessons. While mothers may teach their children better social skills, the fathers are able to school the children better on practical life lessons.

Even if one parent has the prime custody of the children, shared parenting still makes room for the other parent to do their bit in bringing up their child as well. A divorce means that there will be a huge shift in the way things were previously done around the home. This sudden change can be very difficult for the children to cope up with. It may create problems for them at school, in their friendships and even has a negative impact on their mental, emotional as well as physical health. So in a way, the biggest advantage that shared parenting provides divorced families is that it helps maintain a little bit of that sense of normalcy, even after the divorce has happened.

The children can continue to see both their parents and are less likely to feel ignored. The parents can get together with their attorney and figure out a shared parenting plan which is convenient for both of them to follow. A proper schedule is drafted which states which parent gets to spend how much time with their child and how often. Of course, that schedule has to be followed by both the parents.

Couples file for a divorce due to their personal reasons. While it is their relationship and they are at complete liberty to decide what happens next, they should keep in mind that their children are a huge part of their lives too and this is a difficult time for their kids too just as much as it is for them.

At Priest Law Firm, Ltd. we have extensive experience with all of these parenting time issues and are able to address everything from a simple visitation schedule to custody reports that are contrary to the child’s best interests. If you have an issue call for a free consultation. (651) 294-2023