Custody and Visitation: Making it Work for the Children

When parents share a child the child absolutely does get stick directly in the middle. Many time the court will award joint custody. In this arrangement one parent has the child living with them and one parent has visitations.

This arrangement is a common one because when all parties work together it is very beneficial to the child. The child has all of their parents loving and raising them. However, sometimes something goes wrong. When the visiting parent does not keep consistent visit's the child feels unloved and unwanted.

Another thing that can go wrong is that the child may not want to visit the other parent. When the other parent yells too much, or is not supervising properly the child may not feel safe and comfortable in that parents care. Many times children will actually protest seeing the other parent because the visits aren't fun.

When a child protests visits it means something, although who knows what. It could mean that the other parent is really mean, or it could mean that the child is mad because that parent isn't all fun all the time.

Parents should encourage visits always. The child does need that other parent. That other parent has the responsibility to raise the child too, as well. However, when the protests are strong or the child is saying really off the wall things it is an indication that something is wrong.

It is a very hard call to make, whether to make the child go or not. I guess essentially the child needs that other parent and even if they are saying they hate them it does not change the fact that they need them.

I think the best thing to do is to communicate. If a parent has been telling the child things you don't see fit make it known that you do not see it fit, but respectfully and nicely. One of the biggest problems that seems to be a problem regarding joint custody is hard feelings between parents.

Parents should always try to work together. Parents who have the child living with them are responsible for school, yes, but who's to say that visiting parents can't read with their children and practice multiplication?