"If you're a parent, there's a good chance your day is defined by a relentless stream of decisions to make on behalf of your children. From managing your kids' schedules and sugar intake, to monitoring screen time and sleep schedules, to choosing schools and medical providers, the mental load of parenting can feel never-ending. But for divorced parents, these decisions can become even more fraught, and the impulse to control can even tip into micromanagement."
"Micromanagement occurs when a parent's desire for control and consistency between households lacks boundaries. This attempt to extend influence into the other parent's daily routines becomes a point of contention and demonstrates a lack of trust in their ability to make decisions. While major decisions are often carved out in custody agreements, more often than not, routine decisions are typically made by each household."
Micromanagement arises when a parent's desire for control and consistency between households lacks boundaries and extends into the other parent's daily routines. Such behavior creates contention, signals distrust, and can harm children and co-parenting relationships. Major decisions are often addressed in custody agreements, while routine choices generally fall to each household. Common hot-button issues include food, screen time, bedtime, and playdates. Signs of crossed boundaries include constant criticism of the other household's choices, intensive monitoring of routines, children feeling interrogated, and interventions driven by control rather than safety. Courts tend to favor flexibility and consideration of professionals' concerns.
Read at Psychology Today
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]