Family Matters

It’s important for children to maintain healthy parental relationships with both their parents after a divorce. It may be hard for a child to do this on his or her own. Having two households to call home means your child will be spending less time with each of you. Your child’s relationship with either of you may suffer as a result. Fortunately, there are ways to support your child’s relationship with your ex. This can help your child adjust to having two households and to having two special parental relationships. Supporting Your Child’s Relationship With Your Ex.

One way you can do this is by creating a feasible parenting plan and timesharing schedule. This is something that can be done during divorce mediation. It may be difficult to divide physical custody equally. You and your spouse will need to find an arrangement that maximizes the time you each spend with your child. Try to ensure your child will have consistent contact with your ex, be it face to face or over the phone or internet. Providing your child means of communication while respecting their privacy can help them strengthen his or her parental relationships with you and your spouse. It is also important to make sure you do not talk about your ex negatively in front of your child. This is one of the most effective ways you can support your child’s relationship with your ex and help them ease into their new life. You do not have to be overly positive, but know that what you say about your spouse, and how you say it, can affect your child’s relationship with him or her.

Encouraging your child’s relationship with your ex is good for them as well as you. It’s hard for single parents to meet all their child’s physical and psychological needs. Encouraging your ex to remain a part of your child’s life can relieve you of some of that burden. Children can thrive after a divorce when they maintain close parental relationships. Supporting these relationships can be a challenge, but it’s doable if you and your spouse work together to craft a solid parenting plan and timesharing schedule. Speak with a Massachusetts divorce mediator if you need help doing this.

Do you have questions about sharing custody? If so, Mediation Advantage Services can help. Experienced in divorce mediation, Law Office of Polly Tatum can help you and your spouse negotiate a parenting plan that looks out for your child’s best interests. Based in historic Worcester with a satellite office in Northboro, MA, our firm serves all cities and towns throughout Massachusetts and Worcester County including, Auburn, Paxton, Leicester, Sutton, Grafton, Shrewsbury, Westboro, Northboro, Southboro, Holden, Sterling, Princeton, Worcester, Charlton, Millbury, Dudley, Spencer, Brookfield, Sudbury, Natick, Framingham, Hopkinton, Milford, Blackstone, Leominster, Fitchburg, Acton, Jefferson, Barre, Oakham, Cambridge, Newton, Marlboro, Lancaster, Bolton, and Hudson. Call our office at (508) 466-4679, fill out our online form, or email us at info@mediationadvantage.com today to schedule your Complimentary Mediation Success Planning Session. You can also sign up for our eNewsletter or download our free e-book for more information regarding divorce in Massachusetts.