Book Review: Building A Parenting Agreement That Works

How to Put Your Kids First When Your Marriage Doesn’t Last

If you’re facing a divorce, no one has to tell you that it could be a bumpy road ahead. But add children to the equation and things get even more complicated.

And although you can’t completely eliminate the stress that they will face, there are things you can do to minimize it. One of those things is to create a parenting agreement.

Parenting agreements allow parents to set aside their differences in order to make decisions that are in the best interest of thier children. The problem however is that it’s often difficult to ignore those differences and, because emotions typically run high during separations and divorce, parents often have a hard time coming together and making the right choices.

Fortunately, Mimi E. Lyster has put together a wonderful guide to help divorcing parents let go of their conflicts (at least temporarily) and create a parenting agreement that will meet their children’s needs.

In Building a Parenting Agreement That Works, Lyster presents a step-by-step approach to drafting a workable and intelligent document that allows divorcing parents to “come together”, even when it’s the last thing they want to do.

From a basic introduction to parenting agreements and what they cover to the more complex issues such as religious education and new marriages after the divorce, Building A Parenting Agreement That Works provides a solid reference point for just about any obstacle you might face.

In this must-have guide, you’ll learn:

• Tips for handling different parenting s
• How to handle milestone events in your child’s life such as driving, traveling and military service
• Options for dealing with notable distances between the two households
• The importance of addressing serious issues such as substance abuse, child neglect and domestic violence.

Lyster also includes a number of additional factors that can complicate things including reinvolving an absent parent, allowing underage marriage, mental health issues and even how to explain the agreement to your children.

“You and your children’s other parent are about to undertake a difficult but very important project; making the best possible decisions about your parenting arrangements. Of course, it may be hard to separate the desire to have nothing more to do with your ex from the task of making decisions that are in your children’s interest. After all, separation and divorce exist to solve adult problems, not to meet children’s needs.”

And that’s what Building a Parenting Agreement That Works is all about – meeting your children’s needs. Learn how state and federal laws deal with custody issues, find out more about using arbitration and mediation and get tips to help you make minor and major changes to your agreement as time passes.

Building a Parenting Agreement That Works offers a wealth of information for separating and divorcing parents and addresses a wide variety of complexities and extenuating circumstances. If you and your spouse are contemplating or already going through a divorce, Building a Parenting Agreement That Works can help you focus on your children to ensure they don’t get caught up in the storm.