Divorced North Carolina parents may find it potentially difficult to handle their children’s time, especially when it comes to extracurricular activities, sports and even bedtimes. However, parents may not be prepared to sit down and determine how much screen time the kids should have.
In general, it is recommended that parents who share both physical and legal custody visit a family therapist to help with creating “house rules” that can be consistent between the two households. However, making a decision about which rules will become “house rules” can still be difficult. For example, if one parent is particularly enthusiastic about children playing Pokémon Go because it encourages them to get out of the house but the other parent is worried about too much gaming, some sort of compromise will have to be made. Both parents will need to discuss the issue as calmly as possible.
If one parent refuses to discuss an issue with the other parent, the other parent has two choices. First, the parent can go to court to seek an intervention if they believe that the child is being harmed. Second, the other parent can simply let it go as long as the issue is not harming the child.
If a parent believes that the other parent’s house rules are harming the child and affecting school work or emotional stability, the parent may wish to go to court. A family law attorney may assist by providing evidence that shows that the other parent’s house rules do harm the child. If there is sufficient evidence, the court may make changes to the custody and visitation order.