Parents who aren’t in a romantic relationship any longer may not be able to get along with each other, so trying to parent together isn’t possible. For these parents, the parallel parenting model may be the best option for raising the children.
This model doesn’t require them to communicate frequently. Instead, they limit communication to speaking about things that are related to the children. Those conversations may happen verbally, but some people opt to stick to written communication so there’s a record of what’s said.
Home operations and rules
When parallel parenting is used, each parent maintains their own house rules. There’s typically no discussion with the other parent about house rules, so the children will have to adjust to having two independent sets of house rules.
Some parents who use this model choose to set major rules as a team, but that’s not always the case. Those rules may encompass things like curfew, bedtimes on a school night or sleepovers.
Importance of a parenting plan
Because there’s no frequent communication in parallel parenting, having a parenting plan in writing is important. This should include the parenting time schedule, clear guidelines for which parent is responsible for which decisions, how communication will be handled and any other aspect of parenting deemed necessary.
The parenting plan should be set based on what the children need when it’s made. It’s possible for the plan to be modified in the future as the children’s needs change. Working with a professional who can assist with getting the terms together may be beneficial.