If you are like most Mississippi families that have joint physical custody, you have the traditional custody arrangement where the children spend one week with you and the next week with the other parent. However, experts are beginning to advise that is not the best thing as far as the children are concerned. Therefore, you should consider alternative arrangements that you may not have thought of before.
The effects on the children
When children are faced with the prospect of leaving one parent for an entire week, it can have a host of negative impacts. First, the children can develop separation anxiety when they must change locations. The long goodbyes can also make the children grow more distant from the parents as a defense mechanism or a consequence of having to shift back and forth for an entire week. In this case, what is easy is not what is best.
The logistical challenges
There can also be issues with communication if you and the other parent do not have the best relationship. The long time gap where the kids are away will require more frequent communication. There can also be hurdles at work because you will need to be able to leave early sometimes when the children need to be picked up from school. It may be better for the children to have a custody schedule where the children can still split time equally but rotate homes more often.
In order to negotiate this type of schedule, it may require the help of a custody attorney. The lawyer may be able to make various suggestions for how to implement alternative custody schedules. It could take some skill to convince the other parent to accept such an agreement. Parents themselves may not be able to conceive of and negotiate such an agreement, so the help of an attorney might be beneficial.
