This has to do with the way children are raised, how parents treat their children, and the importance of the family unit.
The evidence is clear: children who live with their divorced parents enjoy getting a break from them. The parent child relationship is as important as it was before divorce, but this time it is more important that the kids like their parents and want to spend time with them.
There are two arguments for this. One is that kids who live with one parent 50% of the time and another 25% of the time feel like they don’t have a permanent home. This can cause emotional stress and mental illness. The other argument is that if the parents take turns switching off days or weeks then each parent has to be on top of things so they do not get stuck with taking care of the children all week. If they do then they will have to hire a babysitter or family member to watch the kids while they work. Having to work all week or having to worry about taking care of your own kids all week when you are supposed to be working can cause stress, which is bad for your health and well being.
Here are some interesting quotes from the news of the Journal of Family Relations who did a sutdy of 632 divorees from Ohio State University:
“The most surprising finding is that the vast majority of parents in both types of custody arrangements reported that they enjoyed spending time away from their children,” said Sarah Hanson, co-author and associate professor of family life at OSU. “This fact challenges existing beliefs about how parents feel about joint physical custody.”
The news release also says:
“In general, parents reported feeling closer to their children after a time away from them,” said Hanson. “And many felt that spending time away from their children was good for the children.”
In addition, here is some information about the study from an OSU press release about it:
“”Our results show that joint physical custody is associated with a parent-child relationship quality equivalent
I am a divorced parent with joint custody. I take my kids every other weekend, and sometimes during the week. My ex-wife also has a new partner, which means that we’re both getting a break from our children.
Our arrangement was made easier by the divorce and family court system. It is possible, though not easy, for parents to get the same amount of time with their children as they had before divorce—at least if the child in question is older than six or so. But it’s not just judges who think it’s good for kids to have time with both parents; social science suggests it as well.
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