Over the years, joint custody has become more and more popular, and fathers’ rights get recognized today in a way they simply haven’t been before. Shared custody is better for parents who want to stay involved, and research has directly linked it to positive development for the kids.
Naturally, there are situations that fall outside of the norm, but courts in most cases will seek a shared custody solution. To understand why this shift has happened as you move toward your own divorce, consider the five benefits listed below.
1. It helps create a routine.
Routines can be very helpful for children, allowing them to feel comfortable and helping to build healthy habits, like sleep schedules. Parents who have to work together to schedule time with the kids naturally set up a standard routine.
2. Both parents discipline the kids.
Effective discipline is one of the most important parts of raising a child — and one of the most challenging. Having two parents who are both involved with this process is good for the child’s development and means one parent doesn’t take on all of the stress of that discipline.
3. Everyday costs get shared.
In single-custody cases, the parent with custody naturally ends up paying most of the daily costs — buying food, toothbrushes, new clothes and the like. Kids are expensive. Joint custody means these costs are automatically shared more often, spreading the burden out and potentially reducing conflict between the parents.
4. Parents get to have their own lives.
Being married was not the only thing you had going on in your life. You have a career. You have friends and social groups. You have hobbies, such as traveling the world or participating in local clubs.
You don’t want these things to end, but they may if you’re a single parent raising your kids on your own. The drain on your time is incredible. When parents share that, they both get time to themselves and are happier, overall, with their own lives.
5. You can move on romantically.
Looking to start dating again? It can be hard for the kids to be around a new romantic interest. Joint custody opens that door for both parents to date when the kids are out. This protects the children and makes life easier for them, and it means you don’t have to put your romantic life on hold for years or even decades just because they’re still at home.
As you can see, joint custody is typically best both for parents and children. Fathers have seen their own rights even out with mothers over the years, and it’s important for you to know how these rights have changed and evolved.