Myths about parenting time and child custody

When you go to court for your child custody case, it’s critical that a fair decision is made, one that respects your rights and the best interests of the child. Below are a few myths that you should be aware of, which could be detrimental to this process:

1. Young children are often more attached to one parent than the other.

Studies have shown that young children will actually form close bonds with both parents. One parent should not be denied an appropriate amount of time with a child simply because it is assumed that the child has a closer attachment to the other parent.

2. Toddlers and infants are better off not spending the night at a father’s house.

This is a very prevalent myth, suggesting that mothers should get custody and fathers should only visit. However, statistical studies did not find that it was consistently problematic for child to stay with either parent.

3. Kids would prefer just living with one parent.

On the contrary, when asked, most children who lived with one parent said they were were not happy to have so little time with the other parent.

4. Time spent together doesn’t impact the quality of a child’s relationship with a parent.

Again, the opposite is often true. To form strong relationships, parents and children need to spend a lot of quality time together.

The most critical thing to remember is that the decisions made must be in the best interests of the child. When considering parenting time, living situations, and all the rest, parents need to know both their own legal rights and how the child’s interests factor into the equation. They should never let myths, no matter how common they are, dictate the end result.

Source: ACFC, “Parenting Time & Shared Residential Custody: Ten Common Myths,” Dr. Linda Nielsen, accessed Dec. 14, 2016