During and after a divorce, you are likely dealing with plenty of volatile and unpleasant emotions. You may even struggle to see your co-parent in person, and arguments could easily bubble up between the two of you.
Needless to say, this will make co-parenting together a much more difficult task. But this is where parallel parenting could potentially come in handy.
How does parallel parenting serve you?
Psychology Today discusses parallel parenting in the aftermath of divorce. Parallel parenting serves a unique purpose in that it facilitates co-parenting and shared custody while helping you and your co-parent avoid in-person discussions and contact.
This helps cut down on the number of arguments and explosive fights that the two of you might otherwise get into during the recovery and transfer period after a divorce. Of course, many experts say that children end up traumatized when witnessing their parents fighting, so you want to avoid it at all costs. The best way to do that is to cut down or eliminate the chances you have to argue.
The benefits of text communication
Instead of in-person communication, you will stick to text-based communication during your term of parallel parenting. This can include texting and emails, instant messaging or even hand-written letters. In fact, you may want to record events or visitation summaries in a notebook and pass them along with your child. This lets you keep each other up to date and in the loop without having one single conversation.
Parallel parenting serves as a stepping stone after divorce, with the ultimate goal is working toward cooperative parenting. You may benefit from having an attorney helping you through these transitional periods.
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