Shared Parenting© Facts and Fiction
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Almost half of the children in the U.S. are deprived of the lifelong benefits of two par- FICTION FACT ents who share the parenting throughout the SHARED first 18 years of their children’s lives. Who Most children are satisfied with the amount The vast majority of children say they want – 42 © are children living with? PARENTING of time they spend (or spent) with their fa- or wanted - more time with their fathers after thers after their parents divorce. their parents stopped living together. Kids 1-16 55% mother & father - 4% unmarried want more shared parenting. 21% single mother - half divorced & FACTS AND As long as the mother has enough money, Kids with too little fathering are more likely half never married children don’t pay a price for having too lit- to have problems throughout their lives re- 14% mom & stepdad FICTION tle or no contact with their father. lated to father absence than kids whose fa- 5% neither parent thers remained actively involved after the 1-17 parents stop living together. 2% mom & her boyfriend Research Brochure by 2% single dad Most divorced or never married parents are Parents generally cooperate more after at- 1% dad & stepmom too hostile to share parenting or to benefit tending shared parenting programs. Only 10- DR. LINDA NIELSEN 18-22 from programs on co-parenting. 15% are in high conflict. .5% dad & his girlfriend Professor of Women’s Studies Very young children should not be away Wake Forest University Shared parenting is bad for infants or young from either parent for more than a few days Only 15%- 20% of parents share parenting ACFC President 2008 children because they should not be sepa- 6,9,15 & are able to spend nights in each parent’s rated overnight from their mother. 23-26 after divorce. Existing legal pro- www.wfu.edu/~nielse home. cedures & attitudes of people who influence [email protected] the decisions about children’s living arrange- Fathers who share parenting are the most When parents share parenting, children are ments often make shared parenting harder to likely to pay child support, spend additional 25, 26,33,43-47 worse off financially because their dad pays achieve. money on their kids, & contribute to college much less child support. 27, 28, 33, 9 educations. Research brochure by Dr. Nielsen © Fathers contribute as much as mothers to Shared parenting is less important than good children’s well-being, even if their ways of mothering because fathers know so much 12, 17, 29-31 less about raising kids than moms do. parenting are different. The overwhelming majority of divorced fa- American Coalition for Fathers & Children Most divorced fathers are not interested in thers want more time with their children & American Coalition for Fathers & Children more shared parenting. 32- 39 ACFC.ORG sharing more of the parenting. Michael McCormick, Exec. Dir. ACFC. ORG 1-800-978-3237 Michael McCormick, Exec. Dir. Children dislike shared parenting if they ac- Kids who live part time with each parent af- 1-800-978-3237 tually have to live part time in both parents’ ter divorce prefer this to living only with one [email protected] 2, 10, 40, 41 [email protected] homes, moving back & forth. parent. 1 13 25 36 Ahrons, C. We’re Still Family: What Nielsen, L. 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Child adjustment in joint Warshak, R. Divorce Poison, 2002. young adult outcomes. Family Court Re- view, 2007 vs. sole custody. Family Psychology, 2002. 28 Custodial mothers, fathers & child sup- 40 Buchanan & Maccoby. Adolescents after 5 17 port: 2005. Population Characteristics. Harvey & Fine Children of Divorce: Sto- Lamb, M. The Fathers Role in Child De- divorce. 1996. Department of Commerce. Census Bureau ries of Loss and Growth. 2004. velopment, 2004 29 Flouri, E. Fathering & Child Outcomes 41 6 18 Blaisure & Geasler Educational interven- Laumann & Emery. Adults from di- Kelly, J. Children's living arrangements 2005 tions for divorcing parents In Fine & Har- vorced families Family Psychology, 2000. following divorce. Family Process, 2006. vey’s Handbook of Divorce, 2006. 30 7 Farrell,W. Father- Child Reunion, 2004 42 Marquard. Between two worlds: Children Children’s Living Arrangements:2003. 19 Braver. Prevention programs for divorced of divorce. 2005. Census Bureau. fathers. Family Court Review,2008 31 Tarnis & Cabrera. Handbook of Father 8 Involvement, 2002 43 Sobolewski. Nonresident Fathers' Ties to 20 Pruett et al. Collaborative divorce project. Kelly,J. Ethical problems with custody. Children. Marriage & Family, 2005. Family Court Review, 2005. Family Court Review, 2005. 32 Nielsen, L. Demeaning, demoralizing & 9 21 44 Wallerstein & Blakeslee What about the Brandon, D. Can four hours make a dif- disenfranchising divorced dads. Journal of Stamps, L. Judges maternal preferences in kids? 2004. ference? Divorce & Remarriage, 2006 Divorce & Remarriage, 1999. custody Family Court Review, 2002 10 33 45 Warshak, R. Listening to children. Family 22 Stone, G. Education programs for div- Braver, S. Divorced Dads: Shattering the Williams, G. Judicial response to cus- Relations 2003. orced parents.Divorce & Remarriage, 2006 Myths, 1998 tody. Law & Society Conference, 2007 11 Scott, Booth & King Post divorce father- 46 23 34 Kruk, E. Shared parental responsibility adolescent closeness. Journal of Marriage Assoc. of Family & Conciliation Courts, Bokker, Farley & Denny. Well being law reform. Divorce & Remarriage, 2005. and Family, 2007. Planning for shared parenting, 2006. among recently divorced fathers. Journal of Divorce & Remarriage, 2005 47 12 24 Dotterweich & McKinney Gender bias in Nielsen, L. Fathers & daughters In Kelly & Ward. Social science research 35 custody cases Family Court Review,2000. Teaching about Families, 2005. and ALI’s approximation rule. Family Court Fagan & Hawkins. Educational Interven- Review, 2002 tions with Fathers, 2003. .