In Arkansas, the easiest solution when dividing physical custody is not always the one that works best for the children. Parents should consider alternative custody arrangements to the traditional method of rotating the kids between households every week. One 50/50 option that could prevent adverse effects on the children is to rotate the custody more frequently.
Traditional scheduling can have negative effects on children
Many analysts are now saying that this traditional schedule may harm the kids by creating difficult psychological circumstances for them. These analysts are primarily concerned by the length of the absence from each parent’s home. This can cause the children to develop separation anxiety when faced with the prospect of being apart from a parent for an entire week. Alternatively, the length of the absence can have negative effects on the relationship between the kids and one or both parents as it can instill distancing as a protection mechanism.
In addition, parents may also struggle with the demands that go along with week-long physical custody. They might need to come to work late or leave early to be available for the children. Not every employer can or will accommodate this type of flexibility, leaving the parent to scramble to figure out alternatives.
Help in developing a non-traditional solution
A family law attorney may be of assistance when it comes to negotiating a non-traditional agreement. In some situations, the other parent may have trouble accepting this because they may be conditioned to believe that the alternating-week strategy works the best. The attorney might persuade the other side that another arrangement would be in the children’s best interests.