What Happens Without an Effective Parenting Plan?

Separated parents with children must agree to a parenting plan that describes how they will provide a parenting that reflects the best interests of their children. Parenting plans assign each person's responsibilities, establish a custody schedule, and include details about child support. Without an effective plan, a difficult situation can become much more difficult.

While there are good and bad parenting plans, there are many things you can do to ensure that you and the other parent can start this new phase in their lives with the most effective approach possible. With an effective parenting plan for everyone to follow, you will have the best chance of succeeding in raising healthy and well-adjusted children.

Take the time to work out as many details as you can about how you and the other parent will provide and support your children on their journey into adulthood. While you are likely to have feelings of pain and grief when dealing with the other parent, you should put it aside to create a stable and loving environment that allows your children to spend quality time with each of you.

These are just a few of the pitfalls that can result from a poor parenting plan:
- You or the other parent are never clear where the children will be every day
- You or the other parent are often late for pick-ups and returns
- Transitions between homes become tense and fill with tantrums
- Plans are changed, canceled or postponed frequently
- Children lose recreation time with friends or family
- Developmentally appropriate activities, such as music or sports, are delayed or missed
- Children show signs of increased stress and anxiety.
- Holidays and holidays are confusing and unclear
- Children do not receive adequate medical care, such as forgetting to take medicine.
- Routine medical care, such as doctor appointments, is delayed
- The feelings of frustration, anger and depression affect both parents and children.
- School performance may decrease due to stress, fatigue or confusion.
- Parental resentment increases because children feel they are in the midst of power struggles

These are just a few of the reasons why open and honest communication about parenting strategies while separated is critical to your children's health and well-being. Parenting is quite difficult without including the tremendous stress and excitement involved in the divorce.

Many parents find that custody software helps them solve the most overwhelming problems and allows them to proceed logically and clearly. Custody X Change software provides you with a variety of parent plan templates. The software even allows you to print them, as well as a color-coded custody schedule.

An effective Parenting Plan is very important because it allows both of you, as separated parents, to do your best to instruct, encourage, and guide your children to do whatever it takes to become successful adults. When you can agree on custody arrangements, there will likely be fewer modifications to the plan, resulting in a more stable environment for your children to grow and prosper.