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Difference between revisions of "Parenting Apart"
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→Parents' refusal to visit
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====Parents' refusal to visit==== | ====Parents' refusal to visit==== | ||
Children need stability and | Children need stability and consistency in their lives. It is disruptive to both them and the other parent when a parent misses a scheduled visit, cancels at the last minute, or just fails to show up at all. This is an absolute no-no. Both parents need to be able to rely on a fixed parenting schedule; this benefits the child by giving them a reliable routine, and it benefits both parents by allowing them to plan their life apart from the child. Some flexibility from both parents is a wonderful thing, but a situation where one parent is constantly backing out, cancelling, or changing dates is not good for anyone. | ||
From the point of view of the parent expecting the children to be picked up, there is precious little that can be done to force a disinterested parent to visit with the children. The court cannot compel someone to see their children when they don't want to. What you must consider is whether the disruption and disappointment the children experience warrants stopping the other parent's scheduled visits with the children altogether. | From the point of view of the parent expecting the children to be picked up, there is precious little that can be done to force a disinterested parent to visit with the children. The court cannot compel someone to see their children when they don't want to. What you must consider is whether the disruption and disappointment the children experience warrants stopping the other parent's scheduled visits with the children altogether. | ||
Under section 63 of the ""[[Family Law Act]]"" if a parent routinely fails to exercise parenting time or contact, then the other parent can apply to court to be reimbursed for the costs associated with the failure to exercise the scheduled time. In an application brought under this section, a Court may also order a parent or both parents to participate in family dispute resolution, have one or both parents and/or child attend counseling or specified services or programs or involve a supervisor for transfers of a child. Addressing missed visits is a process option that was not previously available to parents under the old legislation. | |||
==Parenting resources== | ==Parenting resources== | ||
