When establishing parenting time, there are several essential aspects to consider. First, you'll need to create a default arrangement that serves as your foundational everyday parenting schedule. Additionally, you'll want to address holidays, special days, and school breaks. Travel considerations are also important, along with provisions for what happens when circumstances require changes to the parenting time arrangement.

Making parenting time decisions requires focusing on the best interest of the child. However, this term can sometimes be misleading. It's crucial to understand that "best interest" doesn't mean determining who's the best parent or who has the best home. This isn't a competition between parents.

Both parents can generally maximize their time with the child, provided the child remains safe and loved while having reasonable accommodations with both parents.

Today's approach to parenting time emphasizes that separation should not interfere with continuing meaningful relationships between children and their parents. The goal is to maintain loving bonds and maximize parenting time together unless it would be inappropriate to do so.

There's growing recognition that shared parenting time represents the most suitable arrangement when children have two capable and loving parents available to them.

Sometimes a primary parenting arrangement proves more beneficial, particularly when a child would thrive better with one main home base. Factors such as a parent's work schedule or home location may also make it challenging to facilitate equal parenting time.

Since parenting time constitutes a significant parenting decision, you should carefully consider the child's best interests, including:

Psychologists often have recommendations for age-appropriate parenting arrangements:

Children Under 8 Years: Younger children typically benefit from short, regular visits with each parent rather than extended stays.

Children 10-11 and Older: These children are generally ready for longer durations away from each parent.

Children 8-12 Years: This transitional age group requires individual assessment. Consider their specific developmental stage and maturity level when determining whether shorter or longer parenting time periods work best.

Remember, these are generalizations, and you know your children best.

Most families benefit from consistent and predictable scheduling. Children generally thrive with consistency, and parents often do as well. A structured schedule helps everyone make plans effectively, maintain commitments outside of parenting time, and establish clear expectations that reduce conflict.

However, some circumstances don't allow for predictable schedules. In these cases, you can establish more general arrangements. Examples of situations requiring flexibility include parents working shift schedules or periods of travel that require adjustments.

When predictability isn't possible, parents often create general agreements such as:

"Avery will reside primarily with Alex, and Jordan will have reasonable and generous parenting time, including three overnights per week with times and days to be agreed upon between the parties."

You'll have both parenting options in Divii: You can choose to articulate something general for maximum flexibility or use detailed parenting time planners to create specific schedules that work for your family's unique circumstances.