The new year brings the possibility of change and hope to most people. For parents who are divorced, this might be a good time to review the child custody arrangement and try to figure out if any changes are necessary. This is also a great opportunity to review your own parenting style and decide what is working and what isn’t.
We know that you might not have everything in place for your child custody situation. Raising children is challenging. Parents have to review and adjust often. The issue for divorced parents is that there might be terms in the custody order that limit what they can do.
When you are making your plans for 2019, take the time to think about what your child will need in the new year. Is the current schedule working? Would your child like to try a new activity? Would they like to spend more time visiting cousins and extended family members? All of these can clue you into potential changes with the parenting time schedule that might need to be made.
Your own situation might have some unique considerations that you must keep in mind. One thing to remember is that you can make changes for yourself that can have a positive impact on your children. Maybe you need to refocus on being positive instead of negative. Maybe you need to make a better effort to remain calm in the face of stress.
Ultimately, you have to decide what is best for you and your children. Whether you are working out an initial custody plan or are reviewing one that is already in place, keeping your children as the focus and trying to help them thrive might make these decisions a bit easier.
