Equal Time vs. Best Time: Parents Want the First; Kids Need the Second, with Maria Curran

Parents navigating “Splitsville” often hope to divide time with their children equally. But in practice, that approach isn’t always the most helpful for children - or even the most practical. “One of the things I emphasize with parents is that, if you work with your co-parent to try to determine what is in the best interest of the children, then you can craft any kind of plan you want,” says Maria Curran, a licensed therapist, the owner of the Center for Creativity and Healing in Charlotte, and a repeat guest to “Welcome to Splitsville. “You can have a different schedule in the summer, for instance, than you do during the school year.” Maria and host Leigh Sellers unpack the emotionally charged issue of why “equal time” often doesn’t mean “best time.” As a longtime family law attorney, Leigh reflects on an increasingly common trend of parents wanting “everything to be exactly equal.” “Shared parenting time is not a specific number of overnights,” she says. Maria notes that factors like a parent’s job, children’s ages, sibling dynamics, and even the geographic distance between parents’ homes all play into an effective parenting schedule. Schedules that are too fragmented, she warns, can create real problems for kids, particularly teenagers managing school responsibilities and social lives. “We have some traditional plans that - a cookie cutter option, if you will - that just don't work for everybody,” she says. Tune in for this insightful discussion about the truth behind “equal” parenting - when transitions between households may create behavioral problems, and why flexibility is key. The insights and views presented in “Welcome to Splitsville” are for general information purposes only and should not be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation. Nor does tuning in to this podcast constitute an attorney-client relationship of any kind. If you’re ready for compassionate and reliable legal guidance on your journey through divorce, contact the team at

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Equal Time vs. Best Time: Parents Want the First; Kids Need the Second, with Maria Curran is an episode from Welcome to Splitsville | Navigating Divorce in a Modern World by Leigh Sellers - Touchstone Family Law.

This episode is 35:40 long.

This episode was published on Apr 1, 2026.

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