Parents are facing big decisions during this pandemic time, especially in providing medical attention and education to their kids. Navigating to what is best for children somehow affects both parents’ emotional and mental capability since both of them are affected by the situation as well. There is too much pressure on who is supposed to be there with the kids. And during these uncertain times, one can take advantage.
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This current situation is a challenging time for those parents who share joint custody of their children. A lot of parents worry too much about what the kids are doing or who they are interacting with. During these times that the children have to switch back and forth, how is that affecting the kids’ lives? How can parents act on the kids’ exposure to other people when one of them is not around? How can parents secure the kids’ safety when only one of them is allowed to spend time with the children following a parental agreement?
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An Opportunity For Parental Alienation
On a case by case analysis, parental alienation can increase when one of the parents took advantage of the pandemic situation. If one of them becomes unreasonable, he or she might validate his or her action by stating the danger of the children’s exposure outside their home. Therefore, demanding and refusing for the children to travel or visit the other parent becomes an unbreakable rule of the one who is in charge. During this pandemic crisis, most parents that live separate lives together understand the danger of the situation. And both of them see it as an essential asset to an open opportunity to keep one parent away from the children.
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Key Steps In Keeping A Balanced Child Custody
In line with the issue of shared custody, one of the parents should not have to worry that much. That is because there are a few key steps that can help in protecting their custody rights from the other parent. These steps will work if both parties ensure to agree and follow parental agreement provided that it prioritizes the kids’ safety.
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- The children need to have a routine where both parents can participate. The kids’ need a consistent schedule of doing different tasks in a timely manner. If in case the mom or dad can’t be there, one must allow the other to take the required spot to avoid keeping it empty. Both parents should agree to the set-up so no one can complain about who’s taking more time spent with the kids and who is not.
- Communication is always the key to the situation. If one parent becomes too confident about his or her rights in shared custody, he or she might reconsider. That is because a long period of not seeing or interacting with either one of them can increase the chances of kids’ feeling left out by one parent. Thus, it can add to the uncertainties of parental alienation. So to avoid that from happening, both parents must communicate with each other and to their children as well.
- Discussing the responsibilities and complications of the situation is a must. Custody agreements are still binding unless it gets legally modified. Therefore, there is no chance one parent can stop the other from visitation. That is regardless of the possible reason one parent presents to the other. So to avoid parental alienation, both parents should comply with their roles and responsibilities. That includes emotional, physical, mental, financial aids. Regardless of the pandemic situation, one or both parents should not use the global crisis as an excuse to disregard custody agreements.