There is nothing like a divorce to create stress. And that tension can extend to other areas of your life - it can even affect your relationships with your kids.
In this three part series, we’re taking a look at how sharing custody can be a smart choice for you, your child, and for your parent-child relationship.
Get a Long-Term Relationship Boost
Sharing custody is actually a smart choice for parents who want to maintain a healthful connection to their kids.
“Children who spend at least 35 percent time with each parent, rather than live with one and visit the other, have better relationships with their fathers and mothers…” points out an article in StatNews.
This holds true, even when when parents don’t get along.
The Child and Family Blog points out, “joint physical custody is associated with better outcomes for children than sole custody, even when parents are in high conflict relationships and even when the parents didn’t initially agree to share physical custody.”
In fact, the article continues, “a review of research on outcomes for children whose parents are separating concludes that poor outcomes for a child are much more closely linked to damaged parent-child relationships than to parental conflict or poor co-parenting.”
Deepen Your Connection
Sharing custody with a co-parent will actually help you to deepen your relationship with your child, as opposed to weakening it.
When a child spends time in both homes, that child will have permission to love more freely, will feel less stressed, and will have the energy, time, and confidence to create a strong and loving connection with you as they grow.
Summary of Part I and III: Part one of this series discussed benefits to your children, and part three will discuss benefits to you.
){kind=link}