Men spend more time with their children than ever before. This may compel you and courts to consider 50/50 custody splits out of respect for modern families. Yet, even modern two-parent households rarely lead to 50/50 parenting time when living together.
Women overwhelmingly still handle most of the parenting. Thus, a 50/50 split rarely reflects a modern family setup. To add to this, many children have difficulties adjusting to living double lives between parents.
On the other hand, even when households did not previously allow children equal time with both parents, they may enjoy this opportunity after a divorce. Your children may develop deeper, independent bonds than they otherwise might have. So, is joint custody really the better approach?
Emotional response
When children spend time with each parent, they may feel grateful to not lose touch. However, Psychology Today proposes that children may also feel tremendous pressure to please both parents. The more animosity or awkwardness exists between parents, the more likely this may become.
Physical disconnect
For some children, the thought of bouncing between two households sounds like a dream. For others, keeping track of clothes, textbooks and other important items may become overwhelming. Parents also often get confused and forget to pick children up or show up at activities.
Key priorities
Unfortunately, in many instances, 50/50 custody splits occur with the best interest of the parents and not the children in mind. If you find yourself faced with the decision, consider your children’s preferences. No matter how young they are, their input has value, even if they change their minds after a few years.
