Controversy over Shared Parenting Claims

Parenting guru Penelope Leach has caused a certain amount of controversy recently by claiming that young children whose parents have split up should not be separated from their main care-giving parent by spending a night with their other parent, who is usually the father, reports the Guardian.

According to Leach, this separation may cause emotional and developmental damage in children under the age of four.

These claims have been criticised by a number of parenting bodies, including shared parenting charity Families Need Fathers.

"We would all agree with the core message of Penelope Leach's book, which is that parents should always focus on their children's needs after separation" commented Jerry Karlin, Chair of Families Need Fathers.

"However, we find her interpretation of attachment theory as the necessity for mothers to exclusively be the main care givers in the early years, whilst relegating the role of separated fathers to little more than visitors, to be quite extraordinary,” he said.

"Shared Parenting doesn't have to mean a 50:50 split of time, but both parents should be involved in important decisions about their children's lives, and in routine care," he added.

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