Imagine you were married to a spouse who didn’t contribute anything to the family. Perhaps you were responsible for all of the child-rearing tasks or you earned all of the money for your household, whereas your spouse lazily did nothing. If your spouse is an irresponsible, disorganized person, it can be terrifying to leave your children with him or her in a joint custody arrangement. How do you know your children will be bathed, fed and cared for in a supportive and nurturing environment?
By including specific parenting provisions related to child rearing within your parenting plan, you can create legal requirements pertaining to the care of your child. If the other parent fails to carry out these requirements, you can take legal action to enforce the agreement. Here are several examples of parenting provisions related to child rearing:
— Both parents will teach the child to respect and obey the laws of the state and country, in addition to the rules of teachers at school.
— The parents will supervise and discipline the conduct and behavior of the child at all times unless the child is in the care of another competent person.
— Both parents will provide clean and satisfactory living arrangements for the child. These arrangements will provide for the child’s basic needs like electricity, heat, food, bedding, entertainment, supervision by a caring adult and running water.
— The parent will provide the child with a balanced and healthy diet, including snacks, meals and drinks.
It’s a good idea for all parents to consider the parenting provisions they agree to carefully. By speaking with a qualified family law attorney, you can gain a clearer understanding of the important issues at stake in your parenting plan.