Divorce and separation are rarely easy for anyone, but it can be even more challenging when there are children in the picture. Because young people rely on their parents for guidance, it can be a confusing and difficult time for them if one of their parents leaves the household.
To make things as smooth as possible for every, creating a successful parenting plan should be one of your top priorities if you and your spouse have decided to part ways.
Ideal parenting plans are comprehensive
Children and teens have numerous needs. From education and health care to extracurricular activities and socializing, there are many factors to keep in mind when considering their social, emotional and developmental needs. Because children thrive most with two supportive and loving parents, your parenting plan needs to be comprehensive enough to cover all of these needs.
Details and communication matter
In addition to being comprehensive, effective parenting plans are also detailed when it comes to scheduling. It needs to account for different work schedules as well as school schedules. Furthermore, it needs to be clear about communication. For example, your parenting plan should outline both how and when to communicate in addition to covering agreements on boundaries and privacy. If there is a future disagreement that you and your child’s other parent cannot agree on, the plan should also include how to handle that situation. Having this type of plan in place can make co-parenting easier in multiple ways.
Although separation is not easy, establishing an effective parenting plan can be helpful for everyone.