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How do you know if parallel parenting is right for your situation?

On Behalf of | Jul 23, 2022 | Family Law |

When your divorce involves children, it becomes more complex than divorces without them. You must make decisions that consider their best interests, regardless of your feelings for your spouse. Suppose you and your former spouse cannot have a single conversation without an argument brewing under the surface. In that case, it may be time to think about forms of parenting that do not involve working closely together.

After all, arguments between you and your ex can hurt your kids. According to WebMD, parallel parenting allows you to parent your children without interacting as much with the other parent.

How do you construct a parallel parenting plan?

To construct a parallel parenting plan, you can leave nothing up for debate. You need to have strict start and end times for visitation and custody. Iron out all details about the exchange and transportation. You should even have a plan for how to handle cancellations. Anything that could potentially cause an argument, you need to figure out in advance to limit contact.

How do you and your kids benefit from parallel parenting?

When you expose kids to fighting between parents, they have a higher tendency to try to choose sides. They may see themselves as the problem rather than real issues with your former spouse. When kids spend at least 35% of their time with each parent, they share all of the benefits that kids who have co-parents do. For example, your kids will have fewer behavioral problems, more self-esteem and fewer emotional problems.

Parallel parenting is not a failure and instead is a testament to your ability to put your kids first, despite your feelings for your ex. Kids will see that you still want to be there for them, regardless of a problematic relationship.

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