This parenting style aims to help children develop meaningful connections with their parents while keeping conflicts at bay. To mitigate arguments and fighting, the parents can continue fulfilling their responsibilities while having little to no contact with one another.
The parent with the child will also be fully responsible for making decisions involving daily needs and activities. They may only need to contact the other parent during emergencies. Otherwise, their interactions would often be in writing with the assistance of a therapist or coordinator specializing in co-parenting. This setup can be ideal for keeping parents from fighting in front of their children, which can have grave long-term consequences.
In any high-conflict divorce, the child may receive the harshest blow. Seeing their parents have severe disagreements can be harmful, especially when they are still too young to comprehend what is happening entirely. Even if the parties are on bad terms, they still have the right to perform their parental responsibilities.
Parallel parenting can help them do so without exposing the child to conflicts. This structured arrangement can also help parents develop a functioning co-parenting relationship despite having distinct differences. With adequate assistance and legal guidance, they can craft an effective parallel parenting plan that addresses existing and future conflict-related issues.
]]>An example of this could be if someone is spending excessively. Maybe they tell their spouse that they’re putting money aside for retirement or investing it in their business. But they are actually gambling, buying illegal drugs or making frivolous purchases. They are lying about it because they know that their spouse would not approve.
Financial infidelity can lead to divorce for many reasons, the first of which is that it just destroys the trust in the marriage. If one person has been lying about how they’re spending money and the other person discovers that fact independently, it’s going to be hard for them to trust each other moving forward. Once this has happened, the couple may not be able to repair their relationship.
Of course, financial infidelity can also lead to a lot of monetary issues. Someone who has been spending money on a gambling addiction may suddenly not have enough money to pay taxes at the end of the year or to make their rent payments. This sudden financial stress puts a lot of pressure on the couple’s relationship, especially when it becomes clear that financial infidelity is the root cause of the problem.
When getting divorced, couples in this position need to be well aware of their legal rights. After all, financial infidelity could indicate that there will be serious issues dividing up property during a divorce.
]]>As effective co-parenting during this period is essential for the well-being and development of your teen, it may be time to revisit your co-parenting plan and modify it while keeping certain realities – and the changing nature of your teen’s best interests – in mind.
Consistency is vital in co-parenting, especially with a teenager. Both households should strive to maintain similar rules and expectations regarding curfews, homework, chores and behavior. Adjustments may need to be made to your parenting plan accordingly. This consistency can help your teen understand what is expected of them – and help them to avoid playing one parent off of the other – regardless of which parent they are with. Regular communication between parents is going to be important to ensure you're on the same page.
As teens seek more independence, it’s important to respect their growing autonomy while still providing guidance. This can include allowing them to make more of their own choices, such as how they spend their time or manage certain responsibilities. Both parents should discuss and agree on the areas where the teen can exercise more independence and modify their parenting plan as needed.
Finally, you’ll want to keep in mind that teenagers often have busy schedules filled with school activities, sports, social events and potentially part-time jobs. Co-parents may need to be increasingly flexible with their parenting time schedule to accommodate these activities. Being adaptable and willing to trade days or adjust times can make a significant difference in your teen’s life.
In all decisions and adjustments to your co-parenting plan, the well-being of your teenager should be the primary focus. Be attentive to their emotional and physical needs as you make adjustments, and don’t hesitate to seek legal guidance if/when necessary.
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