With this parenting plan example, parents can take a different, more child-friendly approach to legal negotiations. Spelling out a clear goals and a specific schedule for the children as well as guidelines for each parent contributes the hapiness of your children and of you and your ex partner.
This parenting plan example lists a number of issues you may include in your parenting plan.
Discuss and complete the list below with your ex partner and with your children.
Of course, the list can be updated every now and then.
When you start constructing a parenting plan, there are several key issues you need to recognize. The table below lists some of the things you may wish to consider when developing your parenting plan, which lays out parents roles and responsibilities after their divorce:
Parenting plan example | |||
Who makes the decision about: | You | Your-ex | Together |
Household Rules & Caring for Children | |||
Allowances | |||
Bedtimes | |||
Childcare/babysitting | |||
Children's grooming | |||
Clothing children will wear | |||
Computer: software, and video game use | |||
Discipline | |||
Handling behavior problems | |||
Internet use: how much, which sites | |||
Meals, overall diet, eating habits, snacks | |||
Television: which shows/how much time | |||
Toys and entertainment | |||
Residential considerations | |||
Children's friends | |||
Schools children will attend | |||
Where children will live | |||
Transportation: Which parent, what times? | |||
Peers & Social Engagements | |||
Children's friends | |||
Dating | |||
Driving (for older children): car ownership, insurance, restrictions (where, how far, number of passengers, etc.) | |||
Overnight visits with friends | |||
Education & Moral Training | |||
Contacts with teachers | |||
Morals, values | |||
Sports | |||
Religion | |||
Schools children will attend | |||
Health considerations: | |||
Dentist visits | |||
Doctor visits | |||
Medication | |||
Psychological counseling | |||
Other Issues |
Different schedules work better for children of different ages. Younger children benefit from having more of a "home base." School aged children can manage more complicated schedules. For teens you need a third schedule: Their own.
There is no such thing as the single ideal schedule. Joint physical custody, traditional every other weekend visitation, "bird nesting" (where the children stay in one place and the parents move back and forth), or the hundreds of variations in between can all work or none of them can. Making your parenting plan work depends upon you, your ex-partner, and your coparenting relationship.
Nobody, not even judges or psychologists, possess special wisdom or mysterious tests that tell you what is best for your children. You, the parents, are in the best position to make these decisions. You need to remember just one thing: This is about your children and your responsibilities as parents, not about your rights.
There is no wrong or right parenting plan. The important bits are to work with your ex as much as possible, and to make sure children don't feel caught between their parents. This parenting plan example can be refined with the assistance of professional children and divorce counselor.
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