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Family Law & Estate Planning Blog

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How do you know if parallel parenting is right for you?

If you recently divorced the other parent of your children, you have to come up with a parenting plan. For amicable couples, co-parenting is a great idea, but for others, parallel parenting may be the best.

According to Healthline, parallel parenting is best for parents with a lot of anger and grief. There are a couple of reasons to consider parallel parenting.

You cannot coexist peacefully

Many couples who choose parallel parenting cannot be in the same room without fighting. If you and your ex are volatile, you need to limit communication. Your children will benefit if they do not see their parents fighting. They will feel safer and have an easier time adjusting to the divorce.

To avoid fighting, you would keep your communication to text or email and only speak when necessary. You would treat parenting as a business, rather than as a personal partnership. If your child has an event, the two of you would show up separately. The parenting plan needs to be straightforward to avoid fighting.

You need strict organization

When it comes to parallel parenting, you have to adhere to a stricter schedule. Some parents need to have a strict start time and end time for visits. It is better if there is little room for flexibility. An organized schedule is easier to plan your life around. You do not have to worry about changes to the routine.

Children can also benefit from the strict organization. There is never uncertainty. Children tend to cope better with a divorce when they can stick to a routine.

Parallel parenting is healthier for children and adults, particularly when the relationship is still hostile.