Making decisions as a parent is not easy. You may have questioned every choice you made since your first child’s birth, and you are not alone. There is no handbook for parenting, and the choices you make can depend on a number of factors, including the details of your family dynamic.
Now that you and your spouse have decided to end your marriage, you may worry about the effects the change will have on your kids, and that is an understandable worry. If you and the other parent remain on amicable terms, you likely have a number of custody scheduling options that could allow you to work out the best arrangements for your kids.
Joint custody
Often, joint custody arrangements allow the kids the ability to maintain strong relationships with both parents. Though this type of arrangement may mean that you and your ex will remain in regular contact with each other, you can consider the various ways in which both of you can spend an even amount of time with the kids. Though a complete 50-50 split of time is unlikely, you may be able to get as close as possible.
Examples of custody schedules
Finding the custody schedule that works best for your family can take time. You may want to consider the following examples as possible starting points:
- 2-2-3 rotation: This schedule would involve the kids staying with you for two days, the other parent two days and then you for three days. The next week, the kids would stay two days with the other parent, two days with you and three days with the other parent.
- Alternating weeks: You and the other parent could alternate entire weeks that the kids stay. They could stay with you for an entire week and go to the other parent’s home for the entire next week.
- Midweek visit: If the idea of spending an entire week away from your kids is difficult, you may want to consider alternating weeks with a midweek visit. This visit could either be a day visit or an overnight visit.
Of course, you could also consider other lengths of time spent with each parent, such as a 3-3-4-4 rotation or a 2-2-5-5 rotation.
Setting the right terms
Whatever the schedule you choose, it is important that you have the custody terms and arrangements legally set. As you work toward the best custody arrangement for your family, having legal support is wise.
