If you and your ex-spouse have a custody plan in place that doesn’t give you much time with your child, something you may want to consider is having virtual visitation sessions to bridge the gap between visitation days. This kind of visitation doesn’t have to be cumbersome or take much time at all, but it will help your child stay in touch with the other parent more often than if they stuck with physical custody alone.
Virtual visitation can take place in many ways thanks to today’s technology. Some of the types of digital visitation you might want to include in your custody plan include:
- Video calls over a smartphone or computer
- Chatting online on a safe server
- Playing games and communicating on a voice chat while playing together
- Texting and messaging on a smartphone
These kinds of visitation are nice because of how easily they allow your child and ex-partner or spouse to interact. For example, your child may play games for an hour or two a day at home anyway, so why not allow the other parent to play with them and use that as bonding time? Similarly, you can use video calls and chats to allow your child to ask for help with homework or to see the other parent when they’re away on business.
Is virtual visitation a replacement for physical visitation?
Virtual visitation isn’t a replacement for physical visitation, but it can bridge the gap. That way, children who may otherwise not see the other parent as often will still have an opportunity to build a strong bond. You may want to include it on top of other visitation dates and times.
