Shared custody: why settle for less than 50/50?

I’m separated and have my kids 50/50. It feels so strange to be away from them so much, but at the same time, I completely understand that my ex wants equal time with them. They’re just as much his kids as they are mine, and of course, he should have the right to see them half the time.

Since my separation, I’ve connected with other divorced or single parents, and many of them have very different custody arrangements. Some only have their kids every other weekend—that’s just four days a month! It’s almost nothing!

I can’t help but wonder: for those of you who see your kids so rarely, why did you agree to that arrangement? What was the reason? How does it affect your relationship with your children when you only see them so infrequently?

Personally, I could never accept seeing my kids any less than 50% of the time. How do others handle it?