Five Signs Your Parenting Plan Is Stressing Your Child
When making child time-sharing arrangements in Fort Lauderdale, parenting plans address the practical details involved. Created by you and your former partner and approved by the judge in your case, it will dictate the amount of time your child spends in each parent’s home during the week and rights regarding weekends, holidays, and other special occasions.
While protecting their own parental rights is often a primary goal in child custody proceedings and in creating parenting plans, it is important for the parties involved to consider the impact on the child. The following lists five signs your parenting plan is causing them stress and what you can do to help the situation.
Five Common Signs Of Stress In Children
Before approving a parenting plan in Florida, there will likely be lengthy negotiations and numerous factors the judge will consider. This includes each parent’s schedule, their relationship with the child, their proximity in terms of housing, and their ability to cooperate with each other. Ultimately, the court aims to protect the child’s best interests. Unfortunately, there are times when parenting plans fall short of this goal.
Parenting plans need to factor in the child’s age, their sleep and meal schedules, where they go to school, their friends and recreational activities, and any sports or extracurricular hobbies they pursue. Parenting plans also need to provide downtime, consistency, and a feeling of being at home, regardless of which parent’s house they are in. Warning signs that arrangements you have put in place could be stressing your child include:
- They appear tired frequently and have trouble sleeping;
- They either overeat or start refusing meals;
- They begin acting out in school and doing poorly in terms of grades;
- They get easily frustrated or fly into fits of anger;
- They appear depressed, anxious, or withdrawn and tend to isolate more.
Helping Your Child Adjust To Parenting Plans
It is natural for children to go through a period of sadness or to act out in the aftermath of their parent’s breakup. It is also natural for them to need some time in adjusting to changes in their schedules and new arrangements made as a result of your parenting plan. Parents.com advises that steps you can take to help them through this process include:
- Avoid bad mounting the other parent in front of the child;
- Make every attempt to treat the other parent respectfully, particularly in your child’s presence;
- Be consistent in family rules;
- Make sure they have time to spend with their friends, which are often an important support system;
- Reaffirm the fact that you love them and encourage your child to discuss their feelings;
If you find your child continues to struggle in adjusting to your parenting plan, you may need to consider whether other arrangements are needed.
Let Us Help You Today
Fort Lauderdale divorce attorney Vanessa L. Prieto can help you in creating a parenting plan that works for both you and your child. To request a consultation regarding your particular case, call or contact our office online today.
Resource:
kidshealth.org/en/kids/sport-safety.html
https://www.vanessaprietolaw.com/what-are-the-top-causes-of-divorce/
