Going through a contentious divorce can leave Rhode Island parents harboring feelings of resentment and hostility, but they are usually able to put these feelings aside for the sake of their children. Studies clearly show that children fare much better when they spend time with both of their parents, but co-parenting arrangements can be challenging when the emotional scars of divorce are still fresh. In these situations, parallel parenting may make things easier on everyone involved.
Parallel parenting
Parallel parenting is a variation on co-parenting that limits the time parents spend in each other’s company without interfering with the time they spend with their children. Parallel parenting arrangements may no longer be only be needed when emotions have cooled and divorced parents can discuss parenting matters calmly. These arrangements only work well when divorced parents are able to communicate. Parents who do not plan activities in advance may run into each other at a school or social event, which could lead to conflict.
Allocating parental responsibilities
When divorced parents do not get along, discussions about their children’s school or social lives can become heated. When a parallel parenting plan is put into place, responsibility for matters like education, health care and socializing may be made the sole responsibility of a single parent to prevent this from happening. Family law judges prefer co-parenting arrangements when they make child custody decisions, and parallel parenting allows them to take this approach in high-conflict divorce cases.
Preventing conflict
Children find it easier to cope with divorce when they spend time with both of their parents, but traditional co-parenting can be difficult following a contentious legal battle. Parallel parenting prevents conflict by maximizing the amount of time divorced parents spend with their children and minimizing the amount of time they spend with each other.
