The results of a study conducted by researchers of an American university has proven the importance of both parents in the lives of children from a very young age. When divorce involves children, the parents have to come to agreements relating to many issues. When the children are very young, infants and/or toddlers, some child custody decisions are even more difficult to make.
New Jersey parents may find the results of a recent study helpful, especially when it comes to deciding about sleepover arrangements for younger children. While the belief has been that the mother-child relationship may be disturbed when very young children have frequent overnight stays with the father, this study has shed new light on the matter. The results of the recent study have proven these fears to be unfounded.
According to the researchers, no harm was done to the relationship with their mothers when young children regularly stayed overnight at their father’s after a divorce. In fact, results from the study showed that children’s relationships with both parents benefited from such an arrangement. Older children who spent equal amounts of time at both parent’s homes when they were younger had the best relationships with both their mother and father later on. It seems the circumstances surrounding the divorce, how the decision about sleeping over was made, or even the relationship between the divorced parents had no impact on the benefits for the children.
All parents want what is best for their children, which is also the court’s aim. Choosing which child custody option will be the best in an individual situation requires careful consideration. Those individuals who are unsure of what will be the best choice may benefit from consulting with a New Jersey family law attorney for ongoing advice and support.
Source: www.sciencedaily.com, “Overnights at dad’s home benefit divorced mothers, fathers and their babies — ScienceDaily“, William V. Fabricius and Go Woon Suh, Accessed on May 24, 2017