3 crucial parenting issues to address in a parenting plan

A parenting plan that co-parents craft together or that the Georgia family courts order will determine much concerning a family’s circumstances following a separation or divorce. A parenting plan will typically include a breakdown of how parents will divide time with their children and how decisions will be made in their interests.

Parenting plans also typically include guidelines to help parents cooperate while raising their children together. Especially when parents have differing values, it can be of the utmost importance to discuss how co-parents will raise their children ahead of time so that both adults can work cooperatively instead of constantly fighting one another about relatively minor matters.

Other than scheduling considerations, what do parents typically need to address in their Georgia parenting plans?

1. Curfews and social rules

Consistency is key to instilling appropriate values and respect for authority in children and young adults. Maintaining the same expectations at both households can help to set a child up for success because they know what the family needs from them. Agreeing on certain rules, like how frequently children can attend social events and curfews for different situations, will help prevent parents from getting into disagreements over such decisions or the children from playing the parents against one another.

2. Electronic use and costs

At what age will the family allow a young adult to get a phone? How much time can they spend on their device? Are there certain apps that the family will not permit? Finally, who will pay for the device and the service required to keep it operational? Addressing technological desires and expenses in a parenting plan can prevent disagreements about when a child gets a device or who will cover its costs from leading to major disputes.

3. School and housework expectations

Parents who want to see their children thrive need to encourage them together to achieve certain goals, such as meeting expectations for their grades. Including those expectations in a parenting plan and clarifying how the parents intend to support the children, such as by getting them into counseling or agreeing to share the cost of tutoring services, will also reduce the likelihood of unnecessary conflict.

The more matters that parents reasonably and effectively address in their parenting plans, the less likely they are to get into disagreements that stress out the entire family and potentially lead to more time in court. Thinking about challenges that can complicate shared custody arrangements may benefit those who are trying to create a workable parenting plan.