Consistency can be especially important during the early years. Babies and toddlers often thrive on predictable routines involving meals, naps, bedtime and familiar surroundings. Parenting plans should take these routines into account and seek to minimize unnecessary disruption while still encouraging strong relationships with both parents.
Parenting plans for infants and toddlers often look very different from those designed for school-aged children or teenagers. Very young children have unique developmental needs, and as such, creating a parenting schedule that supports stability, bonding and healthy growth requires careful planning.
Getting started with your parenting plan
Rather than long stretches of time away from one parent, shorter and more regular stretches of parenting time may help infants and toddlers maintain particularly secure attachments with both parents. A truly effective schedule should be influenced by a child’s age, temperament and developmental stage, as well as each parent’s ability to meet that child’s daily needs.
Parents should also consider practical issues that are unique to their young children. Feeding schedules, nap routines, medical appointments and childcare arrangements should be discussed in advance. Sharing information about sleep habits, new foods, medications and developmental milestones can help co-parents to facilitate continuity between households and support their young child’s well-being.
As children grow, their needs change quickly. A parenting plan that works well for a six-month-old may not be appropriate for a three-year-old. Many parents benefit from including review provisions that allow them to revisit their schedule as their children reach important developmental milestones. Working with a skilled legal team to craft a parenting plan that allows for review and revisions as a young child grows can be helpful accordingly.