I want hard facts on development of a child in 50/50 join custody

[MomOfSandN]

My sons father would like 50/50 joint custody 1 wk on 1 wk off and I do not dispute that he has a right to see his son. However after beeing born out of wedlock and his father not wanting anything to do with him for a whole year and until I called him in october to be involved in his sons live and argueing with me about it he finally agreed to meet his son and now he wants change the boys life around is not fair to our son he wants to change our sons last name to his last name be cause he thinks that that is what is right for the boy mind you this is the man who got a second chance to change his mind after one year of zero contact zero phone calls not one word on top of that he wants to be put on the birth certificate and take my husbands name off which I am ok with because he is the father but my question still remains what are the development issues a child of the age of two would have to endure for his father to get what he wants as opposed to the needs of the child to be in a stable environment. please let me know I just what what is best for our son if I didn't I would not have tried to contact him to get his father involved please help me.

[momofsmbe]

I have always had a 50/50 split with my ex husband, but he is very reliable and always been in there life. Our split was never on week on and one week off though. It has always been He has them Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, I had them Wednesday, Thurday and Friday and we alternate saturday. We've never had a problem, but we work it out.

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

The 50/50 arrangement is a very bad idea. I cannot put it in any stronger terms. I would say this even if your son's father had displayed a better track record, so to speak. But it is much more compelling in the context of his absence for so long. Such 50/50 plans are very destabilizing for children because they involve too many transitions and make it impossible for children to have stability and routine.