50 50 Custody Effects on the Child: The Dilemma of Co-parenting
Tags: Parenting, Divorce, Parenting Tips, Parenting Advice, Family

Where co-parenting has been shown to really work for both children and parents. However, 50 50 custody effects on the child are far more than just beneficial.

Therefore, we shouldn’t overlook some of the negative effects of co-parenting just because it’s shown otherwise on various platforms. Note that every situation in parenting bears its benefits and negatives as well.

And the best way to work through such differences and coming out strong is by approaching the issues positively. Here, we’ll look at the 50 50 custody effects on the child and what parents can do to ensure a healthy and effective co-parenting experience.

What Does 50/50 Custody Mean?

Like the name, the 50/50 custody law means that each parent gets an equal amount of time to spend with the children they have. The same applies to the guardians if the child doesn’t have the parents around.

In most scenarios, the custody percentages are usually determined by calculating the number of nights the children or child spends with each parent/guardian. Additionally, this can also be calculated using hours in place of the nights.

It further means that both parents get to share joint physical custody of their child. Not one of them dominates the care and appearance more than the other.

This means that both parents/guardians must consult together when making crucial decisions concerning their children. Whether it be school, sports, or other activities, both sides must consult and agree on similar terms.

50/50 Custody Effects on the Child

When it comes to co-parenting, most cases must have negatives right beside the positives. That’s because every decision or action made by either parent must have some sort of effect on the child.

You see, co-parenting isn’t easy when one of the parents/guardians is traveling a lot, especially to long distant places. Besides that, there might be a parent suffering from addiction of some kind and can’t really perform their obligations to the needed extent.

Whatever the case might be, 50/50 custody comes with some fair share of as well as the . So, let’s first start with the positives that can be realized from 50/50 custody co-parenting.

Positive Effects of 50/50 Custody to the Children

1. Two Beats One

One of the main benefits of 50/50 custody is having both parents take part in whatever is happening in their children’s lives. That’s because this type of custody doesn’t marginalize any parent, but allows both to be equally inclusive in their children’s lives.

There’s a very accurate African proverb that says — “it takes a village to raise a child”. This means that no matter how good a single parent might be, there is still essence including the other one to the parenting mix.

This way, parenting the child becomes more effective and balanced. For instance, it might be completely impossible for one parent to help their child with both homework and sports.

That is where a helping hand comes in to lighten the burden. If one parent focuses on the child’s academics, then the other one can step in and help with extracurricular activities.

And the same applies to any other area in the child’s life such as meeting extended families of both parents. This makes 50/50 custody a worthwhile experience for all the parties involved.

2. Access to Two Homes

In the co-parenting scenario, it means that the child or children caught up in the experience get to have two homes. And from a positive point of view, this gives the child a diverse and richer growing environment.

The children can have friends from both sides of the parents and engage with them during their visits. Besides that, one parent might be living close to a beautiful and fun park where they can bond together during leisure.

That’s what two homes mean to the kids caught up in the 50/50 custody. It gives the children a chance to meet more people and understand each parent’s side while they visit.

Although there are some people that still feel having two homes will contribute to the unstable nature of the child. Actually, living or visiting somewhere almost half your lifetime pretty makes you feel like home.

So, 50/50 custody won’t be selling the children short of any experience if done correctly.

3. Quality Time

50/50 custody also ensures that both the parents and children get a chance to spend some quality time together. That’s because we tend to share a lot together once we’ve taken some time apart and really miss one another.

So, when the child or children get to meet a parent they’ve not seen for long, it’s obvious they will be enthusiastic to meet again. This is where the bond becomes more intimate and the parties get to share hugs, stories, and things they’ve encountered since they last saw each other.

That time apart will make the child feel more wanted and loved from the anticipation of meeting again. And because of this, both parties get to spend quality time together without the regular routines and habits such as slumping on the TV or resorting to individual rooms after school.

4. Children Learn More About Each Parent

A mature 50/50 custody experience gives the children time to bond with each parent separately. And because there is no room for marginalization or discrimination of either parties, children get to learn more about their parents — individually.

Even better, children are happier because they are privileged to be close to both of their parents. Understand that mothers and fathers bond with their children differently.

When bringing up an all rounded child, there are certain aspects that just need handling from the dad and vice versa. With 50/50 custody, a child can have their issues sorted accordingly with the appropriate parent for the job.

The children get to live and understand both of their parents lives and roles they play as parents. Actually, most experts have claimed that the 50/50 custody is the ultimate way for healthy parenting if the parents are apart.

5. Healthy Competitive Parenting

Another benefit of the 50/50 custody effects on the child is the healthy parenting competition that goes into it. You see, no parent wants to be seen as less inclusive or caring towards their kids, especially after a divorce.

Therefore, children end up benefiting a lot from competitive co-parenting. For example, one parent may decide to be strict on academic performance in a fun and effective way.

As a result, the children would always want to be around such a parent while learning and growing their knowledge. So, unlike sole custody with only visitation, 50/50 custody emphasizes healthy competition to ensure the children get optimal assistance from both parents when needed.

Negative Effects of 50/50 Custody to the Children

1. Disruptive

Most 50/50 custody scenarios have gone to producing the most disruptive type of children because of going back and forth. It is one of the main causes of a highly disruptive life in the children involved.

You see, 50/50 custody means that the children or child involved in the mix up gets to spend at least 2 nights away from either care giver. Now this is close to torture, especially if there are younger kids who can’t really cope without their parents.

This is what makes this process disruptive and unhealthy to the children. That’s because the children or child needs to always be close with their parents, especially at a tender age.

2. Long Distance Parenting Doesn’t Work

Evidently, it becomes difficult 50/50 custody to be well practiced if the parents live significantly far from each other. You see, if the distance between both parents is in minutes or a few hours, then this can work.

However, if we are talking extended hours and long trips, this might hurt the child’s experience every time they need their parents close. As a result, one parent may end up seeing the children less than they are supposed to.

If that’s the case, then sole custody becomes more appropriate at this stage. Therefore, the parents living far away can get a chance with their children during the weekends mostly.

3. Not the Best Idea for Unfit Parents

One of the main reasons why split ups happen is because of an addiction problem of one of the parents. The issue can range from alcohol abuse, drug addiction, to mental health, among other issues.

If this is the case, then 50/50 custody effects on the child can be really devastating. That’s because it will be very unhealthy to have the children spend time with an unfit parent who’s still working on recovering.

This can have numerous negative effects on the child without even knowing it. Therefore, such a case calls for a different co-parenting strategy such as sole custody with set visitations.

It will give the ill parent enough time to work out their issues before deciding to meet with the kids again. Although it might seem unfair, it’s better than jeopardizing the child’s health by putting them with a problematic parent.

4. Mismanagement

Surprisingly, most 50/50 custody scenarios end up failing due to the lack of proper management skills. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a problematic parent or significant long distant travels.

Mismanagement usually results from the lack of knowledge, making it hard for the parents to problem solve their issues. And communication is one area that most 50/50 custody scenarios end up failing in.

For a successful co-parenting experience, 50/50 custody requires parallel parenting. With this approach, the communication is kept at a minimum as both parents play their roles respectively.

Therefore, parents need to fully understand their primary roles and focus more on achieving them more than anything. The drama or going back and forth with their split parenting partner isn’t what the kids need at the moment.

The two need to step on their prides and come together as one for better managing the 50/50 custody handed to them. This includes setting up proper planning for the meetings, a concise and effective academic strategy for the kids, and leisure activities as well.

It all narrows down to the ‘two parents beat one’ benefit of this article. Because when two parents join hands and fully commit to the children’s well-being, it usually ends in good results.

5. Burden to One Parent

If one of the parents is indeed suffering from an illness or addiction problem, it might be hard for them to spend any time with the children. This means that the sober or more conscious parent needs to double down on their parenting roles.

As a result, it could leave them significantly exhausted with trying to meet every need that the children require. In some cases, the parent may become too overwhelmed and the effect can be well seen in the child’s academics, social behaviour, and other areas of their life.

So, it’s always good to ask for help if the other parent is completely unable to fulfil their part of the 50/50 custody agreement. This will remove some of the heavy burden on the one parent’s shoulder and have them well rested for helping their kids out another time.

Conclusion

As you have seen, 50/50 custody effects on the child vary differently depending on the situations at hand. There are both positives and negatives to this co-parenting strategy.

The positives are quite comprehensive and both the children and parents get to enjoy them together. However, there is also the negative side to it, which shouldn’t be a surprise by now.

It only means that the parents need to find a better way of dealing with their weaknesses, while focusing more on the strengths. That said, every parent deserves quality time with their children, regardless of the nature of the split up.

Similarly, each child needs to spend some valuable time with both their parents. This gives the parents a chance to show them their love and be a part of their lives while they grow up into discovering themselves.

And even though there are both good and bad sides of the 50/50 custody effects on the child, it’s better than having an absent parent without any serious reasons. Hopefully, this guide has helped you understand all you need to know about the 50/50 custody effects on the child.

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