While many aspects of a Tennessee divorce can prove difficult, you may find that sharing your time with your children is an especially hard part of the process. In addition to missing your children when they are not with you, you also have to learn how to co-parent with your ex, and sometimes, planning ahead can work wonders in terms of improving your co-parenting relationship.
According to Psychology Today, a parenting plan is something that sets guidelines you and your child’s other parent agree to follow when it comes to raising your son or daughter. The information included in a parenting plan can range from general to highly specific and will also vary broadly based on your child’s age, but there are certain aspects of child-rearing and co-parenting that most of them address.
For example, your parenting plan should outline the terms of your custody arrangement and parenting time agreement, including your agreed-upon terms for holidays, birthday celebrations and so on. Many co-parents also find it useful to include specifics about which parent is responsible for pickups and drop-offs when transferring the child from one house to another to prevent potential disagreements later on.
You may, too, want to use your parenting plan to outline how the two of you plan to handle making decisions when it comes to your child. Often, parents choose to give the custodial parent the ability to make general day-to-day decisions while agreeing that both parents will communicate before making any major ones. While these are some key components you may want to include in your parenting plan, the content of yours will ultimately vary based on your child’s age and developmental needs.
This content is for informational purposes and is not a substitute for legal advice.