{"id":6938,"date":"2021-02-05T09:30:00","date_gmt":"2021-02-05T15:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bgs.com\/blog\/?p=6938"},"modified":"2021-11-22T15:16:12","modified_gmt":"2021-11-22T21:16:12","slug":"putting-children-first-co-parenting-through-a-pandemic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bgs.com\/blog\/2021\/02\/05\/putting-children-first-co-parenting-through-a-pandemic\/","title":{"rendered":"Putting Children First: Co-Parenting Through a Pandemic"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Co-parenting under normal circumstances presents many challenges for families of divorced or separated parents. Add a worldwide pandemic to a tenuous, oftentimes contentious, family dynamic and the results can be devastating for everyone involved. During COVID-19, many families are discovering that previous co-parenting arrangements may not withstand the demands associated with sheltering in place and remote\/distance learning. This can amplify an already stressful situation. Read our blog as we discuss ways to help families cope with the challenges associated with co-parenting through a pandemic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4><strong>Ensure safety when changing households<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Many parents wonder if it\u2019s safe to have their children travel back and forth between two households, especially if the other parent is at a higher risk for exposure through work or contact with others like a stepparent or significant other. Some have even gone to court over such matters. Parents should make every effort to talk amongst themselves to discuss how to address safety concerns before getting the courts involved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4><strong>Maintain open lines of communication<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Oftentimes separated or divorced parents are estranged from one another, making communication and planning quite challenging. However, parents should try to set aside their differences and focus on the heath and well-being of their children. Maintaining open and honest lines of communication is critical. If you find communicating with your child\u2019s other parent difficult, you may want to explore alternate methods of dispute resolution, such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bgs.com\/individual-law\/family-law\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">mediation<\/a>. A mediator can help parents resolve disagreements and move forward with developing a solid plan for parenting through the pandemic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4><strong>Develop a comprehensive parenting plan<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Parents should discuss and develop a solid parenting plan to cover the following topics:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><strong>Social distancing<\/strong> \u2013Discuss and agree on what public activities or events they feel comfortable bringing their children to including sports, places of worship, friends, restaurants, etc.<\/li><li><strong>Protective gear, safety, and hygiene <\/strong>\u2013 Both parents should agree upon the appropriate PPE for their children including masks, gloves, sanitation methods, and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.health.state.mn.us\/diseases\/coronavirus\/vaccine\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">COVID vaccine<\/a>. It\u2019s important to adhere to the latest <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/coronavirus\/2019-ncov\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">CDC<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.health.state.mn.us\/diseases\/coronavirus\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">MDH<\/a> guidelines to ensure all precautionary measures are followed.<\/li><li><strong>Education <\/strong>\u2013 Distance learning models pose many challenges for parents as they navigate new ways of learning at home. Setting the appropriate expectations for learning at home in both households is crucial for both parents and students. It\u2019s also important to discuss plans for the summer.<\/li><li><strong>Location of child exchange <\/strong>\u2013 It\u2019s wise to include a contingency location to exchange custody if the current location is unavailable.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>We know this is a difficult time for everyone. Parents can effectively share custody during the pandemic by maintaining open communication and being flexible with expectations for yourself and your co-parent. This will ensure a seamless, stress-free transition for your children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bgs.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Barna, Guzy &amp; Steffen<\/a> has an outstanding team of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bgs.com\/individual-law\/family-law\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">family law<\/a> professionals available to talk to you about your specific needs. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bgs.com\/contact\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Contact us today<\/a>. We look forward to hearing from you.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Co-parenting under normal circumstances presents many challenges for families of divorced or separated parents. Add a worldwide pandemic to a tenuous, oftentimes contentious, family dynamic and the results can be devastating for everyone involved. During COVID-19, many families are discovering that previous co-parenting arrangements may not withstand the demands associated with sheltering in place and remote\/distance learning. This can amplify an already stressful situation. Read our blog as we discuss ways to help families cope with the challenges associated with co-parenting through a pandemic. Ensure safety when changing households Many parents wonder if it\u2019s safe to have their children travel back and forth between two households, especially if the other parent is at a higher risk for exposure through work or contact with others like a stepparent or significant other. Some have even gone to court over such matters. Parents should make every effort to talk amongst themselves to discuss how to address safety concerns before getting the courts involved. Maintain open lines of communication Oftentimes separated or divorced parents are estranged from one another, making communication and planning quite challenging. However, parents should try to set aside their differences and focus on the heath and well-being of their children. Maintaining open and honest lines of communication is critical. If you find communicating&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":6941,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[27,23,21,1],"tags":[73,115,116,117,109],"coauthors":[51],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Putting Children First: Co-Parenting Through a Pandemic - Barna, Guzy &amp; Steffen, LTD.<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Co-parenting through COVID presents many challenges for separated or divorced parents. 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Read our blog as we discuss ways to help families manage.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.bgs.com\/blog\/2021\/02\/05\/putting-children-first-co-parenting-through-a-pandemic\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Barna, Guzy &amp; Steffen, LTD.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-02-05T15:30:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2021-11-22T21:16:12+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.bgs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/BGS_Jan_Blog_GettyImages-1214226364-1.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"850\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"567\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Elizabeth A. 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