Having both parental figures around is one of the major factors that affect a child’s development. When you split with your spouse or partner and you have a child together, you need to figure out a way to co-parent so that your kid grows to become a well-adjusted adult.

Ideally, you’d live in the same city and going back and forth won’t be a problem for you. But what if you have to move to another state to pursue your career? You certainly can’t neglect your child just so you could climb up the corporate ladder.

To stay present in your child’s life, you need to get into a joint custody agreement with your former partner and work out a long-distance parenting plan to make sure your kid doesn’t miss out on either of their parents being around.

Things You Need To Consider

Crafting a plan with your former partner will require a lot of patience, preparation and pragmatism.

Schedule

You’ll need to figure out when you’ll be available and the duration of your availability. This can include things like how long it will take you to go back and forth, how easily you can travel, and if you’re financially stable enough to visit with your child frequently or not.

You’ll also have to plan ahead of time because staying in touch during the school year won’t be the same as visitation during school breaks. You have to consider your child’s age as well to figure out how much time you need to spend with them.

You should let the other parent know in advance if you need to make any changes in your schedule so they can make arrangements accordingly.

Holidays And Vacations

In most cases, long-distance parents exercise visitation with their children during holidays or breaks. If that’s how you plan to do it too, then you need to come up with a plan, taking the other parent’s wishes into consideration, so that both of you can spend time with your child and celebrate the holidays.

Technology

The advantage families have today over those in past generations is that there are so many ways to keep in touch with each other if you can’t meet up in person. You need to take full advantage of technology every chance you get to let your child know you care about them and become a constant presence in their life.

Make time in your everyday schedule to video-chat with them. If they’re old enough to type, then you should stay in touch with them through text messages as well and stay updated about any changes in their lives and tell them about any changes in yours.

Let Us Help

It’s not always possible to part with your spouse on good terms. But when you have a kid to look after, you need to do all you can to stick around for them and have them as your number one priority.

To figure out a plan with a difficult spouse or partner and make sure you’re not overstepping your co-parenting boundaries, you may have to get a lawyer involved. We’re here to help you with that.

Here at Atlanta Family Law Group LLC, we are committed to helping parents preserve their relationships with their children after a separation. Contact us at 404-738-5805 for a consultation and let us take care of the legalities so that you can spend time with your kid without any worries.