Perhaps you endured years of marital problems before ultimately deciding to file for a divorce. Then again, you might be one of many parents in Texas whose marriage ended abruptly because of a singular crisis event. Either way, if your relationship with your ex is contentious, trying to navigate child custody issues might be challenging.
Have you ever felt that, no matter how hard you try, it’s just never good enough for your former spouse? If you’re constantly met with degrading remarks or an argumentative attitude, chances are you’ll deal with much of the same every time you try to discuss a child custody issue. In fact, you might feel like you and your ex can barely be in the same room without tempers flaring or some type of conflict arising. In cases like this, it’s wise to consider adopting a parallel parenting plan.
Here’s how parallel parenting works in a child custody arrangement
You and your ex will always have a connection because of your children. However, this doesn’t mean that you must subject yourself to his or her anger and disrespectful treatment. To protect your emotional health while keeping your children’s best interests in mind, you can choose a parallel parenting custody option.
Parallel parenting means that you and your ex each carry out your duties and daily family life with your children without being involved in each other’s lives. Each parent is free to set rules and routines in his or her own home, whether it’s compatible with the other parent’s way of doing things or not. Correspondence in a parallel parenting plan only includes text messages or other written communication.
Trade off on special events
In a parallel parenting plan, you and your ex would agree to alternate attendance when your children have special events at school or at home. This way, the two of you won’t have to be present at the same time, thus alleviating stress and helping you avoid conflict.
You don’t have to see each other for custody exchanges
Another benefit of parallel parenting is that you can enlist support from trusted friends or family members (or the state) to help with child custody transfers. For example, to avoid having to see each other, you and your ex might agree to pick up and drop off the kids at a relative’s home, scheduling each with enough time in between that you do not cross paths.
If you’re considering giving a parallel parenting child custody option a try, you’ll want to make sure to craft a detailed (written) agreement, including legal custody issues, such as whether you must consult each other to make major decisions on behalf of the kids regarding health, education and other important matters. If you’re having trouble resolving a specific issue, you may seek the court’s intervention.