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Bringing an absent parent back into a child’s life is challenging

On Behalf of | May 17, 2019 | Family Law

When you go through a divorce, you have to think about how your children will interact with both parents. This is a difficult time for everyone, and there is a chance that one parent will become overwhelmed. They might end up running away from the situation while trying to adjust to their new way of life. Unfortunately, this usually has a negative impact on their children.

For some kids, adjusting to not seeing that parent will become the normal way of life following the divorce. But, there could be problems that arise if the absent parent decides to try to suddenly come back into the child’s life. The youngster might have conflicting emotions that make it hard to fully accept the once-absent parent back into their life. It will be up to both parents to work together to ease the transition and develop a renewed relationship.

One of the first things that must be done is to establish ground rules for the situation. You do have to follow the parenting plan as it is set, even if the other parent has been gone. If you feel this needs to be changed, you will have to head to court to have it modified.

Another thing to do is to prepare the child. You can speak about how important it is for them to have a relationship with both parents. You can expect some pushback when you do this because they might still feel animosity and anxiety over the situation.

Be ready to take things slowly. They might only want to see the other parent for short spurts at a time. Allowing them to build the relationship at their own pace can benefit everyone. Trying to push the kid can result in them feeling stressed and uncertain.

It is never a good idea to have a parent who is in and out of the child’s life. If there is any question about the parent remaining around in the future, no promises should be made to the children about what is going to happen. Remember that everything that is done must be based on what is best for the children.