When you have children and are getting divorced, it is absolutely vital for you and your spouse to work out details of how you will take care of your kids. Many parents agree to a certain type of parenting plan. The most common type is called co-parenting; however, this type does not work for all couples. When this is not an option, parents might agree to a parallel parenting plan. Here is an explanation of both types and how they work.
What Is Co-Parenting?
Co-parenting is such a popular choice of how divorced couples parent their kids because it is usually the best option for the kids. To use this method of parenting, both parents must be willing to work together in a way that is most beneficial for the kids. They must set aside hard feelings they have for each other and must work at providing the best possible environment and life for the children, despite the fact that they are no longer together.
Divorced couples who co-parent are kind to each other and always look for the best interest of the kids. They go out of their way to handle things properly and well and to avoid fighting with their ex-spouses. The end result is that you have two parents working on the same page for the welfare of their kids. The kids typically feel safer in this type of situation and feel more loved. The kids also have fewer problems to contend with, such as fighting parents.
What Is Parallel Parenting?
Co-parenting definitely offers advantages, but it is not a parenting style that all couples can use. In a high-conflict divorce, the two spouses might not be able to be nice to each other. In fact, they might not even want to see each other ever. The problem is that if they have kids, they will have to communicate in some way.
Through parallel parenting, parents decide to aim at doing what is best for the kids without really having any kind of relationship with each other. They may agree to handle all communication for kid-related things through texts or emails, and they may agree to never be in the same room or place unless they absolutely have to.
As you read through these two options, do you have a preference for the type you want to use? If so, you will have to talk to your spouse about it or work things out with a divorce lawyer or a divorce law firm.
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