Articles Posted in Parenting

Those fighting on the front lines are now faced with additional challenges – custody of their children. Because medical providers, firefighters, and other essential workers are exposed to COVID-19 more than anyone else, they are now getting denied parental access to their children.
Unfortunately, there is not enough guidance from the courts in NYS regarding custody during the global pandemic, and the only hope is that parents will be reasonable.
Co-parenting is easy for parents who get along well but is challenging for those who feel animosity towards each other during normal times. Now, in the times of social distancing and the quarantine in NY, co-parenting for them becomes hell.

With schools closed and parents’ work schedules altered, co-parenting may become even more challenging. Below are some tips on how to get through the difficult times with the best interest of your children in mind.

Accept the fact that your parenting time may need to change:  Regardless of whether the parents reside next to each other or at different ends of a big cosmopolitan city, your parenting time may have to change. With schools closed and parents working from home, everyone will need to adapt to a new routine. You may now need more help from your ex to watch the children if your day is full of virtual meetings and phone calls. Perhaps facetime with your children will save them and you the risk of being exposed to the disease during your pick-up and drop-off commute. Even if you’ve been following a court-ordered visitation schedule, it is totally fine to alter on consent of both parents. Exchange text messages or emails with proposed new schedules and communicate!!!! Put your animosity towards each other aside and focus on safeguarding your children.

If a quarantine is announced, allow the primary custodian to continue to care for the children and have facetime with them instead of picking them up. Discuss how you can make up the missed time by, perhaps, adding more time with the children during the summer. Maybe spend time with the children in the primary custodian’s house instead of taking them outside. Be smart, be loving, be understanding.

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