Photo by Pip Wilson,
A new study mapping when children spend time with their father after divorce, has revealed a shift away from children only spending time with their father every second weekend. The study, based on a random sample of 408 separated parents registered with the Australian Child Support Agency, found that despite the complexity of some parenting arrangements, children generally moved between homes two or four times each fortnight. Led by Bruce Smyth of the ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences the study found that modern parenting schedules post-divorce show a greater sharing of parental responsibilities and richer paternal involvement than previously evident. This was also the case for children in 50/50 shared-time arrangements, with the most common pattern being week-about arrangements starting each Monday. "This is an important new finding because there have been concerns that children in 50/50 arrangements often move between mum's and dad's house in 'ping-pong' type arrangements," Smyth said. "But the new data suggests that arrangements involving frequent moves between homes are not the norm. Fewer transitions help to limit children's exposure to parental hostility at handovers and offers greater predictability for children, especially young children.
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