KEY MESSAGES

* Myths need challenging and realities need facing.
* Children need two homes when they have two separated parents.
* Organize the program to suit your circumstances, not vice versa.
* Infants require special consideration when part of a shared parenting arrangement.
* Shared parenting allows both parents to be hands on.
* Both quality and quantity are important in parenting.
Continue Reading Popular Myths About Shared Parenting

When it comes to establishing each parent’s individual roles and their levels of involvement, influence, and time spent with the children, the terms most discussed and debated are joint custody, sole custody, and visitation. Generally, physical child custody (whether sole, shared, or split) really comes down to the amount of time spent with one’s children. Custody in the legal sense (that is, legal custody) governs who will make what types of decisions affecting the health, education, and general welfare of the children and under what circumstances such decisions will be made.
Although maximizing parental time is very important, it should yield to the best interests of the children. And obviously, each parent’s differing views about what is or is not in the children’s best interests is one of the many contributors to child custody chaos. The desire for power and control are other major contributors.
Continue Reading A Family Friendly Approach to Resolving Child Access

The Fathers’ Rights movement is grounded in constitutional rights and imperatives. It has grown out of the very real changes in men’s traditional roles in Western society, and the current generation’s more egalitarian attitude towards shared parenting, which has resulted in gender neutral custody laws in virtually every state of the United States.
Continue Reading Fathers Really Do Have Rights

Skype, Facebook, Twitter, You Tube, whiteboard, Flickr, e-mail, texting, instant messaging – these are only a few of the ways that people stay in touch via the internet. It seems like the telephone has become old-fashioned and outdated. In long distance parenting relationships, it is easier than ever before to stay involved in the day-to-day activity of the child.
Continue Reading Internet Parenting — Skype Style

On Thursday, June 17, I will be participating as a panelist in the State Bar of Texas Family Law Update: Same Sex Couple Divorce/Parenting Issues webcast seminar.

This two-hour webcast is intended to inform the family law practitioner about recent developments in same-sex family law cases. Dallas and Austin have both recently litigated gay divorces; the 5th and 9th Courts of Appeal have recently issued opinions addressing standing for same-sex parents.
Continue Reading Same Sex Couple Divorce and Parenting Issues

I posted about Sandra Bullock and her role as step-mom to Jesse’s kids here. I read a GREAT post about the role of step-moms on the blog The Psycho Ex Wife. As a step-mom myself, I can really relate to the important and sometimes thankless job that step-moms perform.

I’m “just” a stepmother.

I’m a stepmother that helps my stepchildren, in some way, every day:
Continue Reading Speaking of Step-Moms…