While it’s ideal that you as your children’s parent would be their primary caregiver throughout their lives, there sometimes arises unforeseen circumstances that make it so children need to be cared for by someone else. Whether it’s an untimely death or something else, it’s wise to have the name of your children’s guardian documented legally within your will or trust.
Because this is such a big decision, you really need to take your time and weigh which option is going to be best for your kids. To help you with this, here are three things to consider when naming a guardian for your children.
Match Their Values To Yours
Different families are going to value different things in their life. If you want your kids to be raised with certain values regardless of who is raising them, it’s important that you make your childrens’ guardian someone that you know matches their values to yours.
According to Liz Frazier, if this is something you haven’t really thought about much as you’re raising your kids, you may want to write down what type of morals you want your kids to have and where you want them to place their priorities in life. Once you have this idea solidified, take a look at those whom you’re considering as guardians to find which person best matches what you want for your children.
Consider Physical and Financial Health
Raising children is a big responsibility, especially if they aren’t your actual children. Not only do you need to devote your time and attention to them, but children also can put a significant drain on your physical and financial health.
Because of this, Heidi Murkoff of What To Expect, recommends that you consider the physical and financial health of anyone that you’re contemplating making the guardian for your children. Since the last thing you want to have happen to your children is to lose someone else in their life or to be left wanting for necessities, it’s important that you find someone who is both physically and financially stable.
Be Thoughtful About Location
If the time should come that your children need to be in the care of someone else for an extended period of time, you may want to think about how much upheaval your kids will be able to handle at this already traumatic time. As a part of this, one consideration should be what physical location your children will live in.
Julie Garber, a contributor to The Balance, shares that you may want to pick a guardian that can easily come to your kids rather than having to move your children somewhere new. This could make the transition go much smoother for your children.
If you’re needing to pick someone to be named as a guardian for your kids, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you pick the right person.