It may seem like the times are changing quickly: everyone’s glued to their phones, and we are living through a global pandemic. Co-parenting is more important than ever in this new era of social distancing, Zoom meetings, and ever-changing public health guidance.
Co-Parenting in a Pandemic
Co-Parenting in a pandemic brings new complications to many child custody arrangements. If you catch the virus and need to isolate yourself, you may need to reschedule your planned time-sharing agreement or determine how you and your child’s other parent will approach the pandemic.
Isolation
If you do not have one already, make a plan with your child’s other parent about what you will do if one of you or your child catches the coronavirus. Outline how you will approach isolation, communication with other family members, and how you will support your child during this troubling time.
Vaccination
You should also make plans regarding vaccination and discuss your views on vaccinating your child. If your child is eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine, discuss with the other parent how you will approach getting vaccinated to your child and then develop a plan on how exactly your child will be vaccinated.
Plugged-In Co-Parenting
Occasionally, you may need to “plug in” to co-parent. This means that you would co-parent through video calls, social media monitoring, and texting your child. While plugged-in co-parenting might not be necessary for some, if your child has a cell phone or uses the internet on their own, plugged-in co-parenting should be included in how you plan to raise your child.
Like all co-parenting, you should come to an agreement with your child’s other parent on how you will co-parent online. Topics you should discuss include:
- At what age can your child create social media accounts,
- What social media accounts can your child use,
- How will accounts be accessed,
- Rules regarding cell phone usage,
- The age will your child will receive a cell phone,
- And any other concerns you or your child’s other parent may have about your child online.
In unprecedented times, it becomes increasingly important to create plans and adapt as you go. Your parenting plan may not be future-proof and may need adjustments for your child’s online usage, emergency time-sharing arrangements in case of illness, and vaccination standards for your child.
If you have questions about your child custody agreement, our Houston child custody attorneys are available to consult. Call us today at (713) 364-0777 to schedule your case consultation.