How nice it would be if parenting, especially during challenging times like a separation or divorce, came with a manual. Unfortunately, that’s not the case, and while you deal with the emotionally and physically demanding situation, you can’t afford to lose sight of the innocent children. That’s why you need practical parenting plans in Alberta, ensuring your children’s best interests are always observed. Here are a few straightforward tips to help you develop an effective parenting plan in a custody agreement.
Ensure the child’s interest takes the front and center stage
More often, parents fight for more, trying to punish one another, but in parenting, it is best to make the child’s interests the focal point. The point here is to prioritize the child’s health, education, happiness, and stability. For instance, ask yourself, will the plan affect the child’s school and daily activities routine? If so, how can you minimize the disruption? Such a strategy helps parents adopt a plan that will help the child thrive physically and emotionally amidst the chaos and uncertainties of separation or divorce. The strategy is all about ensuring the child feels assured that they are still the priority, making it easier for them to deal with the changes.
Clarity and a little flexibility helps
One of the costliest mistakes to avoid is ambiguity in parenting plans. Ambiguity creates enough room for misunderstandings that can prove chaotic, but that doesn’t mean you should leave some “open” thoughts. A tip to keep things clear is outlining the schedule and responsibilities for each partner and making them as detailed as possible. This means clearly indicating specifics for set days and occasions, for example, when, who, and where to do drop-offs and pickups and at what time.
Such a solid plan keeps things ticking, but flexibility is crucial since life happens. For example, you might fall ill or have an emergency, in which case you need to be flexible enough to maintain consistency for the child. This means the plan needs enough room to be adaptable to unforeseen circumstances that won’t affect the parent or child.
Account for conflicts
You may have harmoniously agreed to co-parent, but disagreements are almost inevitable in every relationship. This means you should account for potential issues in your parenting plans and include practical conflict resolution measures. This may include a neutral third party or mediation options. With such a predetermined go-to, you’ll quickly resolve issues and avoid stressful situations that can significantly leak into the child’s life. The resolutions will be more focused on what best fits the child rather than coming on top of an argument, which is among the most common pitfalls in relationships.
Remember the communications
How will you be communicating? Will it be through phone calls, email, or co-parenting apps? It might seem like a no-brainer, but this is a critical step toward a successful parenting plan. It eliminates issues like incessant messages or calls. Once you agree on the communication mode, you’ll eliminate friction, such as unwanted calls or incessant text messages. This way, it’ll be easier to focus on your shared goal, which is your child’s well-being.
Crafting a practical parenting plan can be challenging, but it is worth the time and effort employed. The good news is that you can easily design solid parenting plans in Alberta with the help of an experienced lawyer and ensure your child gets the best care.