As Kentucky parents work on creating a parenting plan for their family, they will need to choose a custody split that determines how long their child will spend with each parent. While the 50-50 split, where the child spends equal time with each parent, is popular, this might not be the division that works best for your family.
Why do some families choose a 50-50 split?
A 50-50 split can provide a wealth of benefits for families. These include:
- Ensuring that the child spends equal time with both parents, which is usually in the best interest of the child
- Providing the child with more household resources and better quality of life as it lets the child spend equal time with both the lower-earning and higher-earning parent
- Allowing both parents to have rest and to have their own separate lives while still being responsible for and involved in the life of their child
One common way to schedule a 50-50 split is by having children swap weeks with each parent. Other ways parents can split a 50-50 custody arrangement is by having the children spend two days with the first parent, two days with the second parent and then three days with the first parent. They then switch the schedule the next week.
Why do some families choose a different split?
Families with very young children might decide a 50-50 parenting schedule is not for them as it involves children changing routines too often, which can be disruptive for a younger child’s development. These families might choose, instead, to have the child spend the week with the main care-taking parent and the weekends or every other weekend with the other parent.
It is important to remember that children grow, and a family’s needs change over time. As these changes happen, the custody schedule can be modified to continue meeting the family’s needs.