Sharing custody of toddlers
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Sharing custody of toddlers
| Wed, 01-31-2007 - 2:24pm |
I'm a little concerned about having my toddlers (3 years, 18 months) staying without me on the weekends when with their dad. They're very mommy-dependent, as I think young toddlers tend to be. I'm looking for others with experience in this area. How long should visits be? Have your toddlers had issues with switching back and forth between parents? Thanks...

There is quite alot of literature out there on itty bittys and shared parenting. Emory, The truth about children and divorce and the Sandcastles book might help with these questions. The child psych my stbx and I work with says they should see ea. parent every 2-3 days, no less frequently than that! Otherwise anxiety sets in. Also, she recommends nesting at the beginning (the parents do the moving; the kids stay in the family home)to ease their adjustments. Depending on a child's temperment, overnights away from mom may be very traumatic; really depends on their temperment. Some young ones may do fine with overnights away.
I say all this, but we haven't gotten to this point yet. We are planning on nesting. I have huge concerns about my stbx's ability to maintain a safe, relatively clean, decent place for my children to be, so not sure how visitation will happen.
Gl,
M