Research Shows That True Joint Custody Between Parents Is Best

Research into what type of child custody arrangement is in the best interest of the child has been stepped up over the past 50 years.

During the 1970s, a child's mother was given most of the leeway in deciding when her children would spend time with their father. By the late 1990s, fathers were increasingly being awarded alternate weekends with their kids. Nowdays, research shows that children may derive even more of a benefit from having their dads in their lives just as much as their moms.

At the International Conference on Shared Parenting in 2017, one common theme seemed to emerge among the 50 joint physical custody studies presented there. Children who spend equal amounts of time with both of their parents tend to have the most success when it comes to their academic performance, psychological well-being and their socialization.

In order to reap the best benefits that shared parenting can offer, though, kids must spend at least 35 percent of their time with one parent and that same amount with the other. When they do, they've been shown to be less likely to cave into peer pressure when it comes to drinking, smoking and using drugs. They also tend to have far less psychological concerns such as stress, depression or anxiety.

Research shows that shared parenting is in the best interest of the children, whether their parents are split up or still living together. It's also important that, no matter what age the child is, that no one parent is relegated to spending time with his or her child during certain times of the day. Instead, it's important for there to be a balance of day and nighttime (overnight) stays shared between both parents and child.

If you're having difficulty seeing eye-to-eye as to how to share your child's time with your ex, then a Naples attorney can provide guidance in your legal matter.