Splitsville News

The TodayShow.com has this story about mothers who are “relinquishing” custody.  According to my favorite internet dictionary (www.m-w.com), to relinquish is to “withdraw from”, “give up” or “release”.  The Today Show piece talks in terms of “retaining” custody.  While custody is still in common use as a term, in Washington has embraced the concept of a parenting “plan” (where both parents play a role) and, when the child spends more time with one parent, that parent is “primary residential parent” rather than the “custodial parent”.

Once the story gets past the sensational bit (”Some stereotypes die harder than others. One of the most enduring is the widespread perception that women who give up custody of their children are horrible mothers.”), it starts to make some good points.  It concludes by noting “the important thing to remember is that child custody decisions are very complex, and every family situation is different.”  I hope to see more of this nuanced view and fewer stereotypes.