Sometimes, despite their best efforts, parents in the Sugarland area simply cannot get along post-divorce. While they both may want what is best for their child, they may find communicating with each other respectfully is difficult if not impossible. For these parents, parallel parenting may the preferable method of co-parenting.
What is parallel parenting?
Through parallel parenting, parents have limited direct contact with one another. Generally, parents will agree on the major decisions regarding their child’s care, but they will each make their own decisions regarding the day-to-day upbringing of their child. For example, parents will make decisions regarding their child’s daily care when their child is in their care. To communicate, parents will contact each other through email, text messages or even a notebook rather than face-to-face contact.
Parallel parenting can help shield a child from fights and disagreements between their parents. When a child is not caught in the middle of warring parents, they can learn to adjust and thrive post-divorce. Parallel parenting also shows children that their parents are committed to raising them, even if they are no longer in a married relationship.
Sometimes parallel parenting can be a stepping-stone to full co-parenting
Divorce can be an emotionally difficult time and oftentimes parents need their individual space to disengage. From there, with time and space, they may be able to eventually communicate more directly with one another.
Parallel parenting may be an option if both parents share joint physical custody of the child or if one parent has physical custody and the other parent has visitation time with the child. It can help parents support their child together in a way that reduces direct high-conflict situations. Ultimately, it may be one way for parents to ensure the best interests of the child are being met.
