Sharing custody in Florida means sharing legal decision-making authority for children in a family’s household and also putting together a time-sharing plan. Parents generally need to find an appropriate division of their overall parenting time and then learn to cooperate with one another to meet the needs of their children.
In addition to establishing an overall breakdown of those time-sharing arrangements, whether it is 50/50 or some other split, parents will need to have a few other rules in place as well if they hope to co-parent cooperatively. Clarifying the following expectations can help to take some of the conflict out of time-sharing arrangements for those who share minor children in Florida.
Planning for school breaks and holidays
Being able to spend the most enjoyable days with the children is important for the bond the parents have with the kids and the preservation of family traditions. Parents therefore need to have a schedule in place for splitting or sharing holidays, birthdays and breaks from school. Some families alternate the holidays, while others find ways to cooperate and celebrate special events all together despite the divorce or separation.
Addressing unexpected changes
No matter how carefully the adults attempt to adhere to the time-sharing schedule of a parenting plan, problems can still derail the family’s schedule for the day or the week. Perhaps one of the children breaks a leg or falls very ill. Maybe one of the parents ends up sick or has to handle an emergency project for work during what should be their parenting time. When the adults in the family have rules in place for when they need to make unexpected adjustments to the parenting schedule, will be much easier for them to do so without it cause in conflict between the adults or damaging the relationship that the children have with their parents.
Managing extracurricular responsibilities
The older the children become, the more outside activities they will likely participate in after school. Whether they want to spend the weekend with a friend or have a gymnastics meet two counties over, a child’s social and extracurricular activities can cause scheduling conflicts and logistics challenges for parents. Having communication rules in place may help the adults navigate last-minute requests by older children, and recognizing how important peer socialization and extracurricular enrichment is for teenagers may help reduce the emotional reaction that the adults have to choices that may reduce their time with the children.
Proactively addressing issues known to cause conflict during time-sharing arrangements may help the adults in a family more effectively meet the needs of their children while minimizing household conflict. Seeking legal guidance can help parents to personalize their approaches more effectively.
