If you are having a hard time coming up with a custody schedule that works for you due to your job or other responsibilities, you and your ex-spouse may eventually settle on a schedule that provides you with visitation but not as much time with your kids as you’d like.
Instead of settling for seeing your children for a few hours a night a few times a week, something you might want to consider as an add-on to your custody schedule is virtual visitation. This could allow you to participate closely in your children’s lives even when you’re not physically present.
Virtual visitation helps strengthen bonds
Virtual visitation helps parents who cannot be physically present as much as they’d like by allowing them to have virtual time with their children regularly. For example, if you are working from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, the only time you really may have available for your kids in person could be the weekend. With virtual visitation, you can add additional time online.
How can you use virtual visitation?
The best custody time will always be spent in person, but that’s not always possible. As a supplementary tool, virtual visitation can be used in a number of different ways to bridge the gap. Some of the ways that people use it include:
- Sending text messages to their children to say good morning or to hold a conversation
- Calling on the phone
- Playing a virtual game together
- Playing on apps together
- Using a video-calling service to call to help with homework or the bedtime routine
- Using virtual methods to attend teacher conference meetings, performances and competitions
All of these, and other, methods of virtual visitation help parents better connect with their kids.
Can virtual visitation work for you?
It could be a good option to give you more regular contact with your children. If you would like to work out a plan to attend their performances or meetings virtually or would like some time each night to connect online or through other digital means, talk to your ex-spouse about it. If you both agree, then this may be added to your custody arrangements and parenting plan for the future.