When a marriage ends on a hostile note, you may not be able to carry out a co-parenting plan. According to Healthline, parallel parenting allows you to minimize interaction while both of you still handle parental duties.
The following includes tips on how to make parallel parenting work.
You should have no room for interpretation in your parenting plan. You should set a clear schedule for when your children spend time with you and when they spend time with your ex. Try to include holidays, birthdays and vacations.
When you have a parallel parenting plan, you should have specific pick-up and drop-off times. There should never be any confusion about the length of time a child is with one of his or her parents.
Disputes can still happen with a parallel parenting plan. Sometimes, you may need to cancel your visit or your former spouse may need to. Include how you handle cancellations in the plan. For example, if one parent visits, can he or she make up the lost hours or days?
If you cannot agree during a dispute, there should already be a plan to handle it. The two of you may want to have a mediator you refer to during disputes.
Parallel parenting limits the communication between you and your ex. You should have a neutral location to pick up and drop off the kids. Parking lots may work best because children can move from one car to the other.
If you have a hostile relationship with your former spouse, you may want to allow a neutral relative or friend to handle communication or drop-offs.