Flattening the Curve Two Households at a Time

After a temporary drop in cases, the coronavirus is making a strong comeback, with many fearing it will only get worse as we near winter. The spike in cases will likely revive strict enforcements on social distancing and self-isolating with the goal of preventing another large spike, but what does that mean for co-parents and children who live between two houses? The responsibility of implementing healthy and protective measures relies heavily on the parents’ individual initiatives.

At-Home Initiatives

Co-parenting during a pandemic requires a degree of cooperation and coordination beyond what parents have grown accustomed to in previous years. For the safety of the child, the parents, and others in each household, it’s important to adopt similar precautions across the board. Each household should take social distancing and quarantining equally seriously, and work to maintain a clean household. Co-parents should take this opportunity to:

• Be transparent about their concerns and the boundaries they want to set
• Be flexible with temporary changes and allow for room to make up lost visitation time
• Be adaptable to the changing situations and expectations of their work, school, and self-care during the pandemic

Continuing Safe Practices Outside of the Home

Co-parents should carry over safe practices into any instance when they must leave the house. After agreeing on which behaviors pose intolerable risks, they should follow this wherever they go, regardless of if the child is currently staying with them or not. By doing so, they minimize the risk of transmission to the child, their co-parent, and their community.

For personalized assistance with your child custody case, contact The Law Offices of Mark R. Hinshaw.