Child care and living arrangements: how do we share the care?

  • Co-operative parenting is about how parents share the care of the children without becoming too agitated about the amount of time they spend with them
  • Quality of parenting is not the same as quantity of parenting
  • Don’t focus on time, focus on being the best parent you can be
  • For the child the relationship with the parent is more important than the exact amount of time spent with them
  • What suits the child best is often a useful starting point when thinking about how much time should be spent with each parent, ultimately the parents need to make this decision together
  • Children are happier if their parents are in agreement as to how much time is spent with each
  • Mum and Dad may parent differently. This is ok, and can benefit the child
  • Age may be a factor to be considered
  • The child can love more than one parent

If you and your former partner are struggling to agree on child care arrangements, Mediation can provide a safe, supportive and confidential environment to build a framework for co-parenting your children and help you find solutions that both parents feel happy with. Mediation is available through the Moving Forward programme, for more information click here