Below are just a few of the links that contain information regarding the possible psychological damage of infants and overnight visitation. Feel free to read them over and I hope it helps you. Further - as you said you would like to know what I found that addresses the concerns below...I would like to know what you found that DOESN'T address these concerns as they are universal concerns across the board.
https://mentalhealth.about.com/cs/familyresources/a/attach403.htm
Oakland, CA - Babies who spend overnights in the separate residences of each parent following divorce or separation, have difficulty establishing secure attachments to their parents, according to a recently-released study.
Carol George, professor of psychology at Mills College, and Judith Solomon, program coordinator of Infant Home Visiting, Early Childhood Mental Health Program, completed the world's first study of the effects on infant attachment to parents by overnight visitation with the father in separated and divorced families. Supported by a four-year Maternal and Child Health Research Grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (1992-1996), the researchers looked at infant-parent child attachment in 145 babies whose parents represent a wide range in socioeconomic status and ethnic backgrounds. They observed the babies in the context of separation and reunion with each parent and interviewed the parents when their baby was 12 to 18 months old, and again at 24 to 30 months.
Using the Ainsworth Strange Situation to assess the baby's attachment security, they found that two-thirds of 12- to 18 month-olds with overnight visits had disorganized attachments with their mothers and fathers, compared with babies who live in intact or separated homes who saw their fathers only during daytime visits. One key function of babies' attachment relationships with parents is to help the baby cope with stressful or frightening situations. The parent is a safe haven, providing comfort and guidance that is internalized by infants as they grow up. Disorganized infants have repeated experiences with attachment figures in which proximity and physical contact are severely compromised, and there is a breakdown in strategies they might have used to signal parents of their distress, and seek contact and comfort. Thus, disorganized babies could not cope with separations and reunions with the parent in the lab setting, and did not trust their parents as a resource to handle stress.
However, the overnight visits per se, were not the sole factor affecting the babies' attachments. Key factors included the mother's ability to protect her child from the stress of separation; the parents' ability to communicate and cooperate about their baby's well being; and the extent of conflict between the parents.
George and Solomon stress that it is important for parents to keep their problems away from their baby, and to pay attention to their baby's behavior, especially when the baby returns home. Signs that overnights are not working include noticeable changes in behavior, such as tantrums, or an inability to sleep at night. "Overnight visits are stressful to babies 12 to 18 months, as well as 24- to 30 month-olds," says Solomon. "Parents can buffer the impact on the baby by talking about their child's needs, accommodating them when scheduling visits, avoiding fighting in front of the baby, and not using the baby as a punishment for the other parent." She adds, "Some babies fare better spending two to three nights per week with dad rather than every other night; some infants do better with one week on and one off, and others prefer parental visits during the week while remaining in one home."
George and Solomon suggest that parents begin trial overnights and adjust them based on how well their baby is coping. "The baby needs time to adjust; overnights are always transitions," notes George. "It's easier when the baby is approximately three years old, because they begin to understand that their mother will return. Infants can adjust to overnight visitation, but it is very difficult when parents don't engage in co-parenting that places their baby's needs first. If co-parenting is not possible, we recommend that parents wait until the baby is older to introduce overnight visiting schedules." -- Mills College
https://life.familyeducation.com/divorce/visitation/45566.html
Age-Appropriate Visitation
It's a famous biblical story: Two women were fighting over a baby each claimed as her own. Wise King Solomon had the women brought before him. Appearing to rule fairly, he ordered that the baby be cut in half, with one half given to each woman. While the pretender agreed with this decree, the real mother was horrified and screamed, No! Give the baby to her! King Solomon then knew that she was the real mother.
Although it's important for both parents to maintain a relationship with their children, visitation schedules based simply on dividing up the number of days in a calendar year without regard for the children's age, psychological needs, or temperament can cause unnecessary stress; for very young children, ignoring these factors may cause permanent psychological harm.
For most children, the ability to make transitions from place to place increases with age. For time-sharing to work, both parents must be attuned to their children's unique requirements and needs, as well as the general developmental pattern that most children follow from birth through the teen years.
Infancy to Two-and-a-Half Years
Infancy, psychologists agree, is a time for building an attachment to the primary caretaker. (Attachment to two primary caretakers, a mother and father, is increasingly common, too.) The infant's developmental task is to form trust in the environment. Long separations from the primary caretaker can result in symptoms of depression and regression and later may result in problems with separation and the ability to form relationships.
Red Alert
If your very young child is grieving for the other parent, he will not be able to focus on his relationship with you. Give your child the time he needs to adjust to separation from his primary caregiver.
Toddlers are beginning to develop a sense of independence. They are becoming aware of themselves and begin to speak and walk. They can use symbols to comfort themselves, such as a picture of Mom or a toy she gave them.
Because the successful attainment of these developmental tasks lays the foundation for secure and healthy children, parents should design a schedule that fits a child's needs at this stage. The best schedule, say the experts, is short but frequent time with the noncustodial parent: short because infants and toddlers can't maintain the image of their primary caretaker for long and frequent to enable them to bond with the noncustodial parent. Most psychologists agree there should be no overnight visitation for very young children.
In cases where both parents share physical custody, frequent daily time with each parent is the ideal.
There are many innovative ways to share parenting responsibility at this stage. We know one couple who bought a second home in the wife's name following the divorce. Their child, a little girl, stayed on in the old house, now in the father's name. The parents shared custody by taking turns staying in the original family homestead. The off-duty parent lived in the new house. In short, the child had one stable home; instead, it was the parents who bore the brunt of constant change by moving back and forth. This model is known as nesting or bird nesting for the obvious reason that the young remain in the nest, as the parents come and go.
Two-and-a-Half to Five Years
This is a time of continued growth and individuality. These young children can now hold the absent parent in mind for longer periods of time. Their language is developed enough to enable these youngsters to express feelings and needs. They have more control over their feelings and bodily functions. This is also the age when children begin to identify more with the same-sex parent.
Although it ultimately depends on the temperament of the individual child, this is typically the age where time away from the primary caretaker can increase, and overnights can be introduced. If the child resists long periods away from her primary caretaker, short but frequent visits should continue until the child is better able to withstand longer separations.
Those who share physical custody must continue to be sensitive to their child's reaction to continual change.
As noted below...even the studies that say overnight visitation is possible do not recommend it across the board and address the potential for risks to the child's developing sense of security...
https://bcfit.org/tips-agevisit.pdf
It is not uncommon for courts to order, or for parents to agree to, visitation arrangements for infants and toddlers that involve regular overnight stays of one to several nights duration with the non-residential parent. The support for this type of arrangement comes from the desire to ensure an infant's frequent and continuing contact with both parents.
There is no scientific basis for preferring sole custody by the primary attachment figure, usually the mother. However, one study has shown that overnight visitations for infants can disorganize a child's attachment strategies. A different study found that more frequent transitions between the parents helped to ensure continuity of both relationships and the child's security and comfort.
The decision that a court makes for visitation is fact driven by the particular case. While there is no cohesive approach taken by the courts in awarding access to the non-primary parent for children under 3 years of age, the courts do seem willing to order overnight access to the father for very young children, more often than one would have thought.
THE GENERAL RULE: Frequent but shorter visits
Infants still breastfeeding - no overnight visits at all
2 years old - earliest possible overnight stays
3 years old - most common age for earliest overnight stays
One of the principles most often advanced by experts in consultation with the courts and/or counsel is that there should be continuity of care and contact with the infant's "primary attachment figure" or "primary psychological parent," which is most often the mother. Some of the more common court recommendations regarding custody are based on this concept, including:
an infant should be in the sole custody of one parent;
no overnight visitation with the non-custodial parent; and
no change in custody should be permitted once a permanent custodial arrangement is established for the infant.
Designing parenting plans for infant children involves a determination of the following points:
nature of the child's attachments to each parent;
the child's comfort level with each parent;
the parents' ability to soothe and stimulate development as well as provide basic physical care-taking;
the length of time the child can endure separation from each parent, given the child's primitive sense of time and understanding, without undue stress or an undermining of each parent-child relationship;
the child's ever changing age specific and related developmental needs.
In BC the Family Relations Act states that a court must give paramount consideration to the best interests of the child and, in assessing those interests, must consider the following factors and give emphasis to each factor according to the childs needs and circumstances:
the health and emotional well being of the child including any special needs for care and treatment;
if appropriate, the views of the child;
the love, affection and similar ties that exist between the child and other persons (parents, grandparents, other relatives and non-relatives);
education and training for the child;
the capacity of each person to whom guardianship, custody or access rights and duties may be granted to exercise those rights and duties adequately.
WHEN ONE PARENT LIVES IN ANOTHER CITY
To have a joint custody arrangement work well, there must be cooperation, a certain civility and the capacity to give and take.
sending pictures of the child by e-mail (when age appropriate);
providing telephone access (when age appropriate);
providing e-mail contact (when age appropriate);
providing web-cam communication (when age appropriate); and,
sending videotapes periodically.
Researched and written for Separation and Divorce Resource Centre (now BC Families in Transition) by Kelsey OBray, Pro Bono Students Canada, Faculty of Law, University of Victoria, March 2007
Updated March 2008
(250)386-4331 Toll Free: 1-877-386-4333 Fax: (250)386-4301
Funding Provided
couldnt deal with that just now
In fact, the links and research provided by LilBean was very helpful and I have already copied it for my attorney to add to the already extensive research that has been rendered and just adds to the reasons why my daughter needs more time with her Father “now” as alluded to previously and exactly what I mentioned in my last response. I have also already gone the extra step of hiring a Doctor Psychologist who is a subject matter expert on these types of circumstances who has been researching and dealing with these situations for the past 30+ years. He has an amazing understanding of exactly what children’s outcome is and the psychological problems that he has to help fix with children because of the exact behaviors that the articles rendered allude to. I will be more than happy to provide research that would show the importance of both parents being involved, and, going a step further, if and when I have the personalized evaluation from this Dr. completed then I will also be happy to render the conclusions.
