Abstract

In their contribution to the Discussion, the authors examine the issue of whether, in situations of marital separation, the frequentation of children with their parents for equal or equivalent times favors co-parenting or not. The authors first insist on the fact that the indications regarding the times and ways of such attendance should not be given to parents in a mandatory way, but by promoting, as far as possible, their empathic skills. They then focus on the opportunities that the equal sharing of time with children offers to parents, especially to mothers, with the opportunity to invest in other aspects of their life after separation. Furthermore, they highlight how, however, specific conditions such as the age of the children must affect the decisions on this respect. In fact, equal times of attendance are useful in adolescence, but must be carefully evaluated in the case of younger children who need more stability. In any case, however, the specific interest of each child or teenager must always be considered.