Making Co-Parenting Decisions During the Pandemic by Deborah Kane Rein
These are difficult times. We are all adjusting our lives to comport with the safety precautions directed by our leaders and medical experts. The tone of the directives seems to assume that all children are residing in one home with both their parents. We know, of course, that that is not the case. In fact, the pressures of social distancing are especially poignant for children of divorce who spend time at both parents’ homes. (In this case, “divorce” is being used to indicate all situations where parents might be co-parenting in separate homes, whether they were ever married, merely separated, or legally divorced.)
This reality presents special challenges to the parents of these children. Many divorced parents live under Parenting Plans that have been created or approved by the court. How to comply with the Parenting Plan when travel has been curtailed by government or when medical experts warn of contagion is something that is new to all of us. Courts in many states are not currently available to assist in resolving issues that arise under a Parenting Plan, unless a real emergency exists.
Here are some articles that address this dilemma. Of course, communicating with your co-parent is crucial in protecting not only your child’s physical but also their emotional health. You may have different opinions on how to do this. Mediation can help facilitate a constructive conversation and a mediator can help you formulate creative solutions to your specific situation.
For more information about how Hess Gehris Solutions can help you and your family navigate parenting issues during this pandemic and beyond, please email Alexandra Lana at [email protected] or call (603) 225-0477. We are currently holding mediation sessions via Zoom and will do so while “social distancing” is required.