Many parents believe there is a right way and a wrong way to raise children. Still, according to Psychology Today, there are four distinct parenting styles, each of which may have a different psychological effect on your kids. If your former partner has a different parenting style than you, you may feel some natural uneasiness about sharing custody.
Nevertheless, many post-divorce families benefit from shared custody arrangements. If you are not a fan of your former partner’s friends or relatives, however, you may wonder if you can control which individuals your co-parent asks to watch your kids.
Your custody agreement
If you worry your former partner may leave your children with an irresponsible person, you can achieve some peace of mind when drafting your custody agreement. Specifically, you can negotiate a right of first refusal provision.
With a right of first refusal clause, your former partner must ask you to watch the kids before he or she asks anyone else. Depending on your availability, this simple provision may give you more parenting time with the young ones in your family.
The best interests of the child standard
When making child-related decisions, judges must consider the best interests of the child. This legal standard also applies to custody modifications. Therefore, if you believe your former partner is endangering your kids by leaving them with certain individuals, you may have grounds to pursue a modification of your existing shared custody arrangement.
If you prefer to avoid court as much as possible, putting a right of first refusal provision into your custody agreement may be the way to go. Ultimately, though, regardless of what your custody agreement says, it is critical to watch for any signs of abuse or neglect.
