Whether you’re dealing with a divorce or you were never married to your child’s other parent; having an effective parenting plan is essential. A parenting plan becomes more important and more challenging when you’re co-parenting an infant. A dedicated family law attorney from Konicek Law can work with you to create a parenting plan that allows both parents to establish meaningful bonds with your child. We will also make sure that both parents are meeting their child’s developmental requirements.
Routines
Routines are critical for infants when it comes to creating a parenting plan. Therefore, successful co-parenting needs syncing schedules. Having to go back and forth between homes can be extremely stressful for young children who are unable to communicate their distress. Having a consistent plan in place at both houses will give your infant a sense of security. Routines can be specialized in your parenting plan and changed as your child grows older.
Shorter, More Frequent Visits
Infants develop “stranger danger” at specific points throughout their life. Therefore, if they don’t have frequent contact with both parents, one may end up becoming a stranger to them. Infants need to see each parent every two to three days. The child can stay between home constantly, or, if one parent has their child for a week, you can schedule one or two short visits with the other parent to make sure they stay familiar in the infant’s life.
If your child is breastfeeding, having an established parenting schedule is crucial so that the father can have enough parenting time to bond with the child. During the breastfeeding stage, it can be challenging to come up with a good parenting plan, but it’s not impossible. You can develop a co-parenting schedule around the infant’s feeding times with shorter, more consistent visits with the father. The father should support the other’s choice to breastfeed the child, and the mother should also support the father’s desire to maintain a healthy relationship with the child.
Communicate Regularly
Infants reach new milestones at a very quick pace, and the other parent should understand the importance of these milestones. Although the relationship with the other parent may not be on the best of terms, the parents must communicate developmental changes, especially those that affect their child’s safety. These changes include starting to crawl or learning how to escape from their crib.
If you and your child’s other parent have a healthy relationship, sending regular photos and videos of new milestones will keep the other parent in the loop of the child’s development. If your relationship is more contentious, text messages or letters, which are kept on topic, can communicate the same message.
Protect Your Child from Conflict
Infants must form a strong bond with both parents and accomplish this; you need to protect them from parental conflict. If your relationship with the other parent is unhealthy, you must set your differences aside and let the other parent build a relationship with your child. Time with both parents provides essential social interactions, which allows the child to become equally attached to both parents. Avoiding parental conflict gives the child a sense of security and much needed attention to their long-term happiness as they move into the early stages of their education. It will also help to avoid child custody battles which can add extra stress into the child’s life.
Hire A Dedicated Orlando Family Law Attorney and Divorce Attorney
Co-parenting can be extremely stressful, even in the best situations. Having a healthy parenting plan that reinforces your child’s well-being can ease some of the tension between you and the other parent. At Konicek Law, our attorneys are committed to providing you with the best legal representation. Contact us today to learn more about how we can bring peace and harmony into your family’s life.
Emily A. Konicek brings 14 years of experience to your family law concerns. Emily excels at mediation, negotiation and litigation, and can help you pursue a course of action that helps you meet your goals for the future and for your family.
