Bringing or picking up your child from his or her other parent at the time of a child custody exchange can be stressful for all parties: you, your ex, and your child. There are logistics to consider and possibly strained lines of communication. You might also fear the start of an unwanted fight or of running into your ex’s new significant other.
Key Takeaways
Tips for Child Custody Exchange
Here are some tips to help avoid as much drama as possible and make your child custody exchange easier on everyone:
1. Be on time!
Arriving on time will help keep the peace. If tensions are already high, showing up late will only worsen the tension. Plus, you would not want to be kept waiting, so show your child’s other parent the same courtesy.
2. Bring a neutral third-party
Having a neutral third party present could encourage both sides to remain civil. It also gives you a witness to the exchange in case anything goes wrong or comes up later. However, do not bring your new boyfriend, who you know will make your ex jealous!
3. Exchange in a public place
Go to the mall or local park. It could help you later that there are surveillance cameras and witnesses around. This could also encourage better behavior from both parties who want to avoid a public scene.
4. Exchange near your local police station
If you feel there may be a safety threat, you could choose to exchange at or near your local police station. Make sure this is really necessary for your child, though, because police stations can be scary, especially for young ones.
5. Exchange at your child’s school or daycare
If you know that you cannot be civil or face your child’s other parent, consider having the exchange take place at school or daycare. The parent who is beginning his or her custodial time will simply retrieve the child from their program and avoid the other parent all together.
There are many different ways to accomplish a successful child custody exchange. Do what works best for you, your family and most importantly your child.