A few words of warning

Shared parenting doesn’t work for children when:

• There are very high levels of intractable conflict between the parents
• The parents are more focused on getting their fair share of time than on the real interests of their children
• It’s a regime imposed because the parents couldn’t come to an amicable arrangement, and they lack the goodwill to make it work
• A parent has plenty of time technically with the children but is not really there for them
• A parent’s inattention causes children to feel unsettled or like visitors
• Children do not feel at home in both households
• There is inflexibility about the arrangements over time

This article has been edited and excerpted with permission from Shared Parenting: Raising Your Children Cooperatively After Separation. Copyright © 2009 by Jill Burrett and Michael Green, Celestial Arts, an imprint of Ten Speed Press, a division of the Crown Publishing Group, Berkeley, CA. Click Shared Parenting to get more information about this book.

Other articles from Shared Parenting: Raising Your Children Cooperatively After Separation

• Popular Myths about Shared Parenting
• Children’s Wishes and the Law
• What to Include in Your Parenting Plan
• Parenting After Separation

For more articles on infidelity and divorce, visit https://www.divorcemag.com/articles/Parenting_and_Step-Families.