Both parents in a divorce should strive to maintain close and frequent contact with their children. The behavior of the parents will have a great influence on the way the children develop and mature going forward. Here are some general guidelines from Smith Strong that will help you maintain contact with your children following your divorce.Richmond divorce attorney

Put the Children First
Do not use your children as spies to check on what is going on with your former spouse. If you have questions about how your former spouse is doing, you should be able to ask them directly. Giving the children any inkling that the parents mistrust each other and feel hostile toward one another will make them feel confused and uncomfortable about their relationship with their parents. They might feel that if they do something to please one parent, they will be disappointing the other and inviting rejection. They will be afraid of losing the love of one or both parents. For this reason, make sure the children see you and your former spouse being respectful toward one another.

Keep Communication Open
If there any problems with the children during one parent’s period of contact, both parents should discuss it and agree on a way to deal with them. An attorney might will advise both of you to try to come to an agreement on major decisions pertaining to the children, especially regarding discipline, so that one parent does not appear to have more authority than the other.

Use Common Sense
Your children’s attitude and emotional development are ongoing processes with no easy formula to apply. As best you can, try to remember to keep the visitation schedule as normal as possible and show the children love and proper guidance.

Be Courteous
When it comes time to pick up or drop off your child with the other parent, be courteous and respectful. It might be a good idea to pick a neutral location such as a supermarket to make the exchange so that the exchange feels more natural.