Child custody cases don’t always involve parents and their children remaining in the same area. Finding ways to stay in contact can be challenging, but technology makes it a little easier. Virtual visits, which include things like video chats, text messages, phone calls and instant messaging, can help to bridge the gap.
While this isn’t the same thing as being able to spend time together in person, it can help parents and their children to remain in contact and build their relationship even though they’re apart. Making virtual visits work isn’t always easy, but it’s likely what’s best for the children.
Considerations for virtual visits
One of the most difficult factors in some cases involving virtual visits is living in different time zones. When this happens, the schedule for virtual visits will usually have to be made based on the child’s time zone instead of the parent’s. The children’s school, sleep and extracurricular activity schedules are all factors.
Another consideration is determining what to do during the virtual visits. These don’t have to be just normal conversations. Instead, this time can be used to read books, play games, watch movies or anything that the parent and child want to do together.
Virtual visits are supplementary, so they don’t replace in-person visits. But, they must still be taken seriously. The parent and child should be able to spend their time without being monitored by the parent who’s with the child.
It’s critical that the terms, including the schedule, for virtual visits is included in the parenting plan. This is only one part of a comprehensive plan, so it’s usually best for the parents to work with someone who understands the situation and can help them to get everything set.