Making a parenting plan during a divorce is incredibly important. A well-written parenting plan can help your child succeed and help you feel good about the future. A poorly made plan, however, can hurt your kids.
Creating a solid plan is challenging, and it can be difficult to avoid major mistakes. Here are two of the most problematic errors that people make with parenting plans.
Mistake #1: Being too vague
Good parenting plans are thoughtful and detailed. You may not think it’s necessary to hammer out every single aspect of your child’s life and future in this plan, but details are necessary. Specifics are good when it comes to parenting plan and you don’t want to run into a problem you haven’t accounted for down the road. This can cause more issues for everyone.
Be specific with schedule, discipline, travel plans, holiday plans medical and educational decisions. Create provisions for smaller issues like babysitters and grandparent visits. These will solidify your parenting plan and ensure it is efficient and effective.
Mistake #2: Focusing on yourself
A parenting plan should be about your kids.
While it can be easy to create terms based on your own convenience, make sure the decisions you make are for your children, not yourself. Making decisions that accommodate your ex-spouse and preserve normalcy for your kids is important. One-sided parenting plans create more stress for everyone involved. Cooperating and collaborating during the planning process can help you, your ex and your kids.
Parenting is hard work, especially after a divorce. But putting in the effort to craft a good parenting plan can help you and your ex create stability and success for your kids.
