Parenting plan terms must be handled carefully

The parenting plan that you and your ex agree to can have a big impact on your children. It is important that you try to get the terms set as quickly as possible because your children can settle into the new way of life, including the schedule, when you have everything set. We know that this isn’t always easy, but it is important that you try to work things out so that you can move forward and help your children to do the same.

When you are trying to figure out what to include in the custody agreement, remember that the focus has to be the children. Everything in the parenting plan has to be based on their needs. Trying to put the focus on the adults will almost certainly make things more difficult.

Another way that you can facilitate a positive start to your new parenting relationship is to remain respectful. You can set this standard and include it in the parenting plan. By demanding mutual respect, you are letting your children know that they are more important than any disagreements you are having with your ex.

We realize that this is a difficult time in your life. Having to share control of things regarding the kids with your ex means that you can’t truly break away from them for the foreseeable future. Trying to make the best of things so that everyone can begin to build positive memories should be a focus. Your parenting plan contains the outline for how everything will work so you can spend time raising your children.