When a marriage ends, it is often the children who suffer the most. Many non-custodial parents living in New Jersey will be familiar with the difficulties in arranging parenting time concerning their children. Seeing one’s child for only brief periods can be painful and even infringe upon efforts to nurture the relationship. In contrast, recent studies have shown that parenting time in the form of overnight visits can be of greater benefit to the parent-child bond in a number of ways.
Providing for overnight visits with the non-custodial parent offers the opportunity to experience the complete routine of caring for a child while maintaining and developing one’s parenting skills. Similarly, the child is able to get to know mom or dad in a way that may not necessarily be possible during brief hours spent together. In this manner, both the parent and child gain something that has been shown to enhance their relationship in the short and long term.
A custodial parent may worry that such an arrangement could become detrimental to his or her own relationship with the child. However, the opposite appears to be true. In cases where the non-custodial parent’s relationship has become stronger, it can also benefit the child’s relationship with the other parent. In addition, shared parenting means that each parent can have periods of respite to refresh and recharge.
Whatever the reason for the divorce, and however much conflict may arise between the parents as a result, it doesn’t always follow that a bad spouse is also a bad parent. If New Jersey residents find it difficult to agree on how to allocate parenting time, it may help both parties to focus on what is in the best interest of the child. This can allow everyone involved to move forward toward a more positive future.
Source: arkansasmatters.com, “Sleepovers With Dad Can Be a Win-Win After Divorce“, Caty McMains, Feb. 7, 2017