The book is here! My life's work? Yes.
Out now from Sourcebooks:
by Emma Johnson
Featured in Newsweek, MSN, Slate.
There is one proven method for happier kids, more involved dads, and less stressed-out moms after divorce―50/50 custody
It's hard for everyone when parents split up―but the end of living together doesn't need to mean the end of a functional family. Part of the reason divorces are so traumatic for the kids involved is because of our child custody system, which truly sets everyone up for failure. Throughout the country, the default arrangement is for Mom to get majority time with the kids (and most of the responsibility of caring for them), for Dad to become an occasional visitor (and perhaps saddled with massive child support payments), and for the kids to lose the stability, structure and confidence of knowing they have two equally committed, loving parents. But it doesn't have to be this way!
In The 50/50 Solution, Wealthysinglemommy.com founder Emma Johnson showcases the robust research proving that, in the vast majority of cases, equal timesharing is the best outcome for everyone in a family where the adults no longer live together. The 50/50 Solution will show you that equal parenting time leads to:
- Better physical, emotional, and mental health for children of divorce
- Higher career earnings for single mothers
- Fathers who are more engaged and whose rights as parents are preserved
- Far less parental and legal conflict
- A progressive, forward-thinking cultural norm that promotes gender and racial equality for all families, regardless of their configuration
A few states have already adopted 50/50 custody as the default arrangement, and several more are poised to follow. Equal parenting time is the custody framework of the future, and The 50/50 Solution shows readers how it helps our families and communities thrive.
The 50/50 Solution in the media
Table of Contents:
- Introduction: Equal Rights, Equal Responsibility
- 1: The Cult of Motherhood and Gender Gaps
- 2: Beyond the Male Breadwinner
- 3: Shared Parenting Is in the Best Interest
of the Child - 4: Money Always Matters
- 5: A Deeper Look at Domestic Violence
Postdivorce - 6: The Future Is Now
- 7: Solutions
- 8: FAQs about 50/50 Parenting
- Notes (26 pages of citations)
Read: Single moms with 50/50 co-parenting schedules earn more, survey of 2,279 finds
The 50/50 Solution in the media
- Slate's Care and Feeding podcast gave The 50/50 Solution an endorsement
- Newsweek published an excerpt: “Give Men Reproductive Rights, Too” (347 comments and counting)
- NPR: Wealthy Single Mommy creator has an answer for kids after divorce: ‘The 50/50 Solution'
- Farnoosh Torabi's podcast interview: Money & Divorce: The Case for 50/50 Shared Parenting
- Made an appearance in a New Hampshire legislative hearing in support of an equal-parenting presumption bill:
Endorsements
“A sharp and thorough take on divorce that's grounded in research and the science of child development. Johnson thinks beyond an outdated and binary battle-between-genders framework, providing a comprehensive guide to coparenting that puts kids first.” ― Jordan Shapiro, PhD, Senior Fellow for the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop, Nonresident Fellow in the Center for Universal Education at the Brookings Institution, and author of Father Figure: How to be a Feminist Dad
“With over 30 years as a divorce attorney, I’ve seen thousands of families torn apart by divorce. The 50/50 Solution is a game-changer. It’s more than a guide; it’s a hopeful vision for healthier families and a call for societal change towards gender and racial equality. Emma’s work offers practical solutions and a progressive outlook on family dynamics in the modern world.” ― Susan Guthrie, Chair Elect of the American Bar Association Section of Dispute Resolution and host of The Divorce & Beyond Podcast
“Sexism should not inform our parenting decisions. Children – and parents – do best when moms AND dads share caregiving responsibilities. The 50/50 Solution: The Surprisingly Simple Choice that Makes Moms, Dads, and Kids Happier and Healthier After a Divorce details the sneaky ways sexism continues to influence (and harm) parents, children, and society and outlines a practical, achievable alternative for separated, divorced, and unmarried parents.” ― Jennifer L.W. Fink, author of Building Boys: Raising Great Guys in a World that Misunderstands Males
“The essence of The 50/50 Solution is so obvious that it is stunning that it is not already the default: Expect moms and dads to take equal care of their kids. Emma lays out the social science supporting why this is so good for children, and challenges many of our old and sexist ideas about how to win at divorce, parenting, work and life.” ― Farnoosh Torabi, Financial Expert, Host of the So Money podcast
Out now from Sourcebooks:
by Emma Johnson
Featured in Newsweek, MSN, Slate.
About author Emma Johnson
Emma Johnson is a business journalist, gender equality activist, best-selling author of The Kickass Single Mom (Penguin), The 50/50 Solution: The Surprisingly Simple Choice that Makes Moms, Dads, and Kids Happier and Healthier after a Split (Sourcebooks) and founder of Wealthysinglemommy.com, the world's largest platform for single moms.
A former newspaper and Associated Press reporter, Emma has been featured on New York Times, Wall Street Journal, CNN, Headline News, CNBC, NPR, TIME, O, The Oprah Magazine, The Doctors, and many more.
An advocate for 50/50 parenting when mom and dad live separately, Emma frequently speaks on women's issues, including at the United Nations Summit for Gender Equality, Google and legislative bodies.
Emma grew up in Sycamore, Ill. with a single mom and two brothers. Today she lives in Richmond, Va., with her son and daughter.
I read your 50/50 parenting article and I am astounded how little you speak about your kids and how the arrangements affect them. What both parents fail to realize is that 50/50 parenting means your kids lose one whole parent! When you are both in the home you are with them 24/7. After the divorce you are now with your kids only 50 percent of them time, get it? And the other parent as well, so the kids lose the equivalent to one whole person! Now after divorce you are able to have all kinds for free time and your article seems to suggest that’s somehow better for your kids. I’m a product of divorce. I am 54 years old and my parents divorced when I was 9 and my brother and I are STILL dealing with the repercussions, every holiday is still a logistical nightmare. It’s fun for kids when they are little because they get more presents but after adult hood it becomes so inconvenient. The parents tend not to talk about the time when they were a couple, so the kids tend to lose those childhood memories or they have to not talk about them. While I get the point you were making in your article about your career and your self indulgent time, I think you’re really missing out on time with your kids. Divorce is a very selfish act in my opinion and I wish more parents would consider the long term detrimental effects.