Dealing with a long-distance time-sharing situation isn’t ideal for the children or the parent who doesn’t get to spend much time with the child. The parenting plan for these cases will usually have a schedule that enables the child to spend as much time as possible with each parent, but the parent who lives far away might not get that much in-person time.
While there isn’t any way to fully compensate for the lack of in-person visits in these cases, you may consider adding virtual visits to the parenting plan so that you can continue to build the relationship with the children even when you can’t be there with them.
Virtual visits can include things like video chats, texting, emailing or anything else that uses technology to put you in contact with the kids. You can do a variety of things during these visits, including helping with homework, reading a bedtime story or even playing a game.
The time that you have with our children during the virtual visit shouldn’t be censored by the other parent. These must be treated the same as an in-person visit. Both parents should ensure the visits happen because the child deserves a relationship with both parents. The terms of the visits, including a schedule for them if necessary, should be in the parenting plan.
Because virtual visits are meant to supplement in-person time together, it’s imperative that you ensure you do what you can to see the children. This may mean flying them back and forth between homes or you making the trip to go see them. Your attorney can help you find out how to protect your parenting time rights in these challenging circumstances.