Ever had that gut feeling that the "professional advice" about your parenting arrangements just didn't fit your child's needs? You're not alone, and you're probably not wrong.

The heartbreaking reality is that many professionals working in the separation space - lawyers, mediators, coaches, even family therapists - are operating on dangerous myths rather than developmental science. They push arrangements that sound "fair" to adults while ignoring what children actually need to thrive.

Take Sarah's story: her four-year-old was having meltdowns, sleep disruptions, and clinging desperately at changeovers in their "fair" 50-50 arrangement. Yet three different professionals dismissed her concerns, suggesting she was the one with separation anxiety! This pattern repeats itself thousands of times across Australia, as protective parents are labelled "difficult" for questioning arrangements that genuinely harm their children.

The myths are pervasive: that equal time is the gold standard (spoiler alert: it's not), that children just need parents to "get along" (oftentimes protection matters more), that children will adjust to anything (some arrangements cause lasting developmental damage), that parents' rights trump children's needs, and that connection to both parents is always worth the risk.

What should drive post-separation decisions instead? Child development science, individual family circumstances (including safety concerns), and what children's behaviour tells us about their wellbeing. When we start from this foundation, appropriate arrangements become much clearer.

Ready to advocate confidently for your child's genuine needs? Trust your parental instincts. Ask better questions. Seek professionals who understand child development - not just family law. And join the waitlist for the Post-Separation Parenting Blueprint at danielleblackcoaching.com.au to get evidence-based guidance that truly serves your children's wellbeing and best interests.

About Danielle Black:

Danielle Black is a respected authority in child-focused post-separation parenting in Australia, helping parents cut through professional pressure and harmful myths to make decisions based on what children actually need.

Having navigated her own complex separation and divorce, and guided hundreds of clients to successful outcomes, Danielle provides evidence-based strategies that challenge inappropriate arrangements and put children's wellbeing first.

The Post-Separation Abuse Podcast helps listeners to understand the nuances of ongoing control and other forms of abuse after separation, and challenges harmful myths about post-separation parenting and provides evidence-based guidance for protective parents.

Ready to transform your approach to parenting after separation?

Join The Post-Separation Parenting Blueprint™ waitlist for exclusive early access, early bird pricing, and instant free mini-guide and private podcast episode: danielleblackcoaching.com.au

Follow Danielle on Instagram: @danielleblackcoaching

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13 YARN: 13 92 76 (24/7 crisis support phone line for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples)

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