For some California parents who are not living together, time with their children may be scheduled as supervised visitation. This might be the case if the parent and child have never met before or have been apart for a long time, if the parent has had substance abuse issues or for other reasons. In a supervised visitation, a third party will be present at all times while the noncustodial parent is with the child.
Supervised visitation may be difficult for both custodial parents and the ones who are visiting, but there are some things those parents can do to make the experience more comfortable and rewarding for both themselves and the child. The visiting parent should make sure that they have read and understood the court order, but they should avoid discussing the case with the child or asking the child for information about the other parent. The focus of the visit should be on the child.
Custodial parents may feel that the visit is an imposition, but they should also familiarize themselves with the court order and get the children to the visit on time. The custodial parent should also avoid grilling the child about the visiting parent. Both parents should strive to be positive around the child.
Parents who are going through a divorce will need to face matters regarding child custody and visitation. In most cases, courts will make an effort to keep children in contact with both parents because this is believed to be in the best interests of the child. While one parent may feel that the child should be protected from the other parent due to issues like drug abuse, domestic abuse or threats to kidnap the child, a court may still believe that the child should have limited contact with the parent and order supervised visitation.
