What Is a Parallel Parenting Plan?

Relationships, and especially marriages, may become toxic or negative. As a result, partners choose to either file for a divorce or separation. However, when there are kids involved, some level of contact will be required even after breaking up. Kids need to have a relationship with both parents irrespective of how the parents feel towards each other. Coming up with a parallel parenting plan is one of the ways that this can be achieved. This is a safe and convenient way of ensuring that the kids are in touch with both parents.

However, while this is good for the kids, most people find it hard to handle frequent face-to-face meetings with their spouses. Understandably, there is usually a lot of anger, grief, hurt, and resentment between the spouses. If you are in such a situation, co-parenting may not work for you, and this is what parallel parenting may be the way to go. This has proved to work for relationships that end in a hostile manner.

With a clear parallel parenting plan, it becomes easier to handle the parenting issues without necessarily interacting with your kids. This seems to work, and some spouses end up coming together as each one gets the much-needed space.

How to Create an Effective Parallel Parenting Plan

If you have broken off a relationship and have kids with your partner, you will need to develop a parenting solution. For couples working on delinking their emotions from each other, a parallel parenting plan is the best way to go about it.

Here are some tips to consider:

Establish How Time Will Be Split

Come up with specific timeframes for spending time with kids. Each parent should have particular days and times. Consider holidays, vacations, and birthdays.

Define the Start and End Times of Visits

To minimize any confusion, a parallel parenting plan needs to include specific pickups and drop-off times.

Discuss Location for Pickups and Drop-offs

The purpose of parallel parenting is to limit communication between the parents. Have a neutral place where the kids can be picked and dropped. If you are still in a hostile zone, it is best to make arrangements with a neutral party.

Talk About Cancellations

As fate would have it, there are times where cancellations are inevitable. Have such situations outlined and how to make up for the missed time. Have apparent parameters in your parallel parenting plan about cancellations, as this can easily aggravate issues.

Have a Plan for Handling Disputes

Even with a clear parenting plan, there may be times where you do not fully agree. It is advisable to ask the court to provide a mentor who will help resolve any disputes.

Do It for Your Kids

A parallel parenting plan works perfectly to protect your kids from a hostile environment. With the limited interactions, you and your ex will hardly get on each other’s nerves. This can be a great way to cool off and work on your anger, pain, and resentment.