Divorce and Child Visitation

When parents decide to end their marriage, often times children are left having to choose sides or share their time between both parents. Parents need to keep in mind that their children are the victims, and that they should always put their needs first, which isn't always easy to do. Also, remember that both of you will have a common tie for many years to come, depending on the age of your child(ren).

Generally speaking, when parents divorce the mother will more than likely spend Mother's Day and the father, Father's Day, unless the courts say otherwise. Other major holidays and summer break may be shared between both parties. In a perfect world, divorced parties would see eye to eye when it comes to their children but that is rarely the case. Often times, children may have emotional issues that need to be dealt with as well.

In order to keep things civil, try to come to an agreement ahead of time. It is in the best interest of the child(ren) to be flexible and take into consideration your child's feelings as well. Another thing to keep in mind is that children often times will try to play one parent against the other and it is up to you to prevent this from happening. One last thing for parents to remember is that when their child is in their custody, they continue to parent just as you both agreed on early on. Remember, your parenting values should go unchanged even though your marriage didn't work out.