As part of your divorce agreement, you and your ex must draft a parallel parenting plan for your shared children. Just as you did not know how to navigate divorce, you also do not know how to create a parenting plan.
Healthline explains the process of drafting a parallel parenting plan. Learn how to support yourself and your children while dissolving your marriage.
Understanding parallel parenting
At its core, parallel parenting helps antagonistic divorced couples raise their shared children together with as little interaction as possible. The less a couple speaks to each other, the lower the chances of them arguing in front of the children. This parenting style often works most favorably for divorced couples in which one spouse has a history of mental health problems or emotional abuse.
Creating a parallel parenting plan
One of the first steps in drafting a parallel parenting plan is to decide how to split time with the kids. Divorced couples decide which days each parent has custody, making sure they account for holidays, birthdays and vacations.
Parenting plans should include details such as what time a parent goes “on duty” and “off duty.” For instance, one parent may have custody of the kids starting Saturday night at 6 through Friday morning after dropping the kids off at school. To further limit communication, parents may include drop-off and pick-up locations on their parenting plan. For example, parents may meet at a parking lot halfway between both households to drop off and pick up the kids.
Like co-parenting, parallel parenting plans require a lot of attention and detail. Working with the spirit of cooperation, parents may help their kids enjoy stability and peace of mind.