Good Habits for the Visiting Parent

After marital separation, children have less daily contact with both parents. Children must adapt to visits in which they are not accustomed. The years that follow are based mostly on the relationship they had with their parents individually and how they were treated. The part-time parent can face the sense of no place to go and no idea of what to do together. In these cases, relative visits together can be nurturing for the child, giving a sense of familiarity, something from the past.

If the father was always with his children on the weekends prior to separation or divorce, it is recommended that custody visits be as frequent as possible and regular to keep the relationship with the children.

If you feel overwhelmed and exhausted due to non custodial priorities in your life, you can still make an effort as a visiting parent. It is not necessary to leave all the parenting and disciplining to one parent. Keep in mind that you are not divorcing your children but rather your spouse.

Learning to integrate your new life, post divorce, with your children can at times be complicated. However, you don’t want your children to feel like old baggage from a prior relationship. Children must be loved and nurtured. Experts say perhaps more so than before, since you are not living together 100 percent of the time. Each moment together can be special, even if its as simple as helping with homework needs, or talking one on one, keep your visitation time with your kids a priority.

If facing a visitation legal matter, call the Law offices of Richard K. Isles for a free consultation.