When it comes time to negotiate parenting time, there are many elements to consider if a parent wishes to maximize parenting rights while managing a career.
The following are some things to keep in mind when negotiating parenting time.
Children Are Always First
Many parents going through the divorce process tend to focus more on how they can win more parenting time as opposed to considering what’s in the best interests of the children involved. The main goal of negotiation is to determine the best way to keep both parents in the children’s lives while minimizing their stress.
Parents need to consider how parenting time will impact the child’s daily routine. For instance, if a parent decides to watch the children overnights on weekdays, the parent will need to be able to help the child prepare for school in the morning and ensure they get to school on time. On weekends, a parent with parenting time during those days will also need to determine how to manage those days off.
Avoid Overestimating the Amount of Available Parenting Time
Parents can often commit to more parenting time than they can actually allow based on their own schedules. To avoid potential inconveniences for both the child and the parent, parents should only commit to the amount of time they know for certain they have to spend with their children.
Maintain Organization at Work
Parents negotiating parenting time may need to made changes to their work schedule to accommodate the time they have to spend with their children. To help avoid any potential issues, parents should be transparent and let managers and others know of changes to be made to their schedule.
While many working parents may be embarrassed about the situation when going through a divorce and distributing parenting time, many companies are supportive and will help ensure that their employees maintain a work-life balance that keeps them content and productive.
Keep the Court’s Decision in Mind
Judges don’t put stay-at-home parents first when it comes to parenting time. In fact, they’re likely to respect parents who are capable of financially supporting their children as well as spending an ample amount of time with them. As long as parents have the best interest of their child at heart, they can make a good case.
Taking each of these points into consideration, parents may be able to negotiate more parenting time without overextending.