The childrenChildren's parenting time with a parent can be ''conditional'' upon the parent doing something, like buckling the kids into car seats when driving, or not doing something, like not smoking around the kids. If the parent fails to meet any of the conditions of their parenting time, they may not be able to spend time with their children until they do meet those conditions. Parenting time can also be conditional upon a parent ''not'' doing something, like not driving with the children or not smoking around the children.

In general, there need needs to be some fairly serious concerns about a parent's lifestyle or behaviour, and the risk their lifestyle or behaviour poses to the children, before their parenting time should will be conditional. As well, the conditions of a parent's parenting time should be no broader and no more difficult than is what is actually needed to address the concerns about that parent and the children's health and wellbeing.

A parenting schedule could also require that a parent's parenting time be ''supervised'' by someone, including the other parent, a grandparent, by another relative or a friend, or even by a person who specializes in supervising parenting time. (There are a number of organizations that provide professional supervision services for a fee.) Just like conditional parenting time, supervised parenting time should be limited to circumstances when the parent or their behaviour poses a risk to the children. Supervised parenting time is usually intended to be a temporary response to a short-term problem, not a permanent condition of the children's time with the a parent.

There are many reasons why children may resist spending time with a parent after separation. Some of these reasons, like I've suggested, are fairly commonplace and are experienced to a greater or lesser degree by all children. Other reasons include the special vulnerability of a parent after separation and the children's exposure to family violence. Still other reasons include a parent's interference with the children's relationship with the other parent. (These problems are discussed in more detail in the "[[Children Who Resist Seeing a Parent]]" section.) Regardless of how the parents feel about each other, however, they are both responsible for supporting the children's relationship with each other, including helping the children look forward to their time with the other parent.

It's important to know that there is no age at which children are entitled to decide their parenting schedule or whether they will or won't see a parent, although their views and preferences usually become more important and more influential as they get older. Children and youth should not be responsible for making their own parenting arrangements; that's their parents' responsibility. While a child’s views and preferences should usually be heard, there's a difference between a child having a ''voice'' and a child making being entitled to make a ''choice''.

If a child is reluctant to see a parent, it's also important to know why the child is reluctant to see that parent and then to take steps to address whatever has caused that the reluctance. Social workers, registered clinical counsellors, and psychologists who provide services to children and youth will often be able to identify the issues that have resulted in the child's reluctance and suggest ways that the child's relationship with the parent can be better supported, potentially including that each parent and the child receive counselling on an ongoing basis. Counselling is often completely or partially funded through workplace extended health insurance programs, and free public and community counselling services may also be available.