Planning for Parenting Time: Ohio's Guide for Parents Living Apart

Child Development and Suggested Parenting Schedules
13 TO 15 YEARS – EARLY TEENS
Children between ages 13 and 15 continue to use the family as a base of
support and guidance. This is a time when the child strives for
independence, but still is tied to the parents. Teens, for many different
reasons, begin to assert more independence at different ages. Decisionmaking
abilities vary widely among teens in this age group, as well as
from one situation to another.
Teens often have outside interests that compete with the scheduled
parenting time. They frequently prefer to spend more time with their
friends than their parents and may become resentful or angry if they
cannot do what they want to do.
Teens may try to reach a deal with one or both parents to get what they
want, which may affect either parent’s parenting time. It is important for
parents to talk with each other to decide when their parenting schedule
should be more flexible.
16 TO 18 YEARS – LATE TEENS
It is important for parents of teenagers of this age to maintain the child’s
accessibility to school, friends, extracurricular and community activities
from both homes.
Teens may feel they should have more independence and may resist a
rigid parenting time schedule. Parents must add greater flexibility to the
parenting schedule by considering the child’s wishes and deciding
parenting time issues with the child. That way, teenagers will not feel
forced to comply with a parenting schedule in which they had no say, but
instead will feel they are doing something they want to do.
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