Shared Parenting Greatly Benefits Children of Divorce

 Posted on January 29, 2019 in Family Law

Shared parenting is more than a right that each parent has during a divorce. Numerous studies have concluded that children benefit when both parents take an active role in caring for and raising them. Children of shared parenting agreements:

• Do better academically and socially;
• Have fewer issues with depression and anxiety; and
• Are less likely to develop unhealthy habits, such as drugs and alcohol abuse.

Despite these benefits, some divorcing parents resist the idea of sharing parental responsibilities with their co-parents. Decades ago, the normal parenting arrangement after a divorce was for the children to live with the mother most of the time and have visits with the father on certain weekends. There are several reasons why shared parenting is better for children:

1. Less Change: Children can feel abandoned if they rarely see one parent after the divorce. It is as though the father left the family instead just divorcing their mother. Shared parenting lets the children know that they still have a family with two parents, the difference being that the parents no longer live with each other.
2. Continued Bonding: Parents and a child start developing their attachment when the child is an infant, which is why it is important for both parents to hold and care for the child at that age. This bond continues to develop between them during their adolescence and through the teenage years. Having a strong bond with both parents makes children feel more secure and be better capable of healthy relationships with others.
3. Different Roles: Each parent has a unique perspective and skills that he or she brings to raising the children. Parenting agreements traditionally favor the more nurturing parent, but the children also learn important life lessons from the other parent. One parent may be better at helping the children solve problems or share a common interest with the children that the other parent does not.
4. Complete Parenting: It is unreasonable to expect one person to take on all the responsibilities of a parent and be as successful as a two-parent household. By dividing parenting time, divorced parents can be more attentive in raising the children. When one parent is unavailable, the other parent can take over and prevent gaps in parenting.

Contact a Kane County Divorce Lawyer

Illinois presumes that each parent has a right has a right to parenting time during a divorce but that an exactly equal division of parenting time is not preferred. A Geneva, Illinois, divorce attorney at Geneva Family Lawyers can help you negotiate a parenting plan that gives you the parenting time that your children need. Schedule a free consultation by calling 331-588-6611.

Source:

https://www.ourfamilywizard.com/blog/benefits-shared-parenting