Divorce Mediator, Barry Davis highlights some additional aspects of mediating a good parenting plan in the third part of this video series.
Children’s Activities
Activities are essential to children and their development, but can be a point of tension between parents if not proactively managed. I recommend that parents agree on the activities beforehand and agree to support their child’s attendance regardless of who’s time it occurs on.
Consistency between households
Not to say that both households need to be exactly the same, but establishing some consistency between households gives the child a sense of stability and helps them to focus. Some areas of consistency between households include fundamentals such as homework and bedtime.
Future romantic interests
This can be a hot topic, but I prefer to proactively address this in a safe and constructive environment rather than wait for it to potentially blow up. What I talk about with my clients is what is in the best interest of the child? and come up with a plan for introducing romantic interests.
Other Considerations
We also discuss Guardianship to decide who gets custody of the children if something should happen to either parent.
We find agreement on medical emergency language to help whichever parent has the child to make a decision in the event of a medical emergency.
Having annual reviews built into a parenting plan will help the plan to grow and adjust as children get older. Clients contact me whenever an issue arises, such as a new schedule, a point of friction, or when the child’s developmental needs change. This is not a mandatory meeting, but is an option for handling change in the parenting plan.
Proactively including these considerations in a comprehensive Parenting Plan will reduce tension and keep the best interests of the child at the forefront.