Making The Most Of Supervised Visitation

Supervised visitation is typically defined as court-ordered, schedules and supervised contact between a parent and their child.

Supervised visits are usually based on two premises:
1. The children do best if they have a reliable, ongoing relationship with both parents.
2. The child’s emotional and physical safety must always be guaranteed.

The amount of supervised parenting time can vary by agreement between each parent, and a judge cannot make a parent visit a child if they do not want to. In supervised visits, the non-custodial parent only has parenting time with another person present. These kind of visitation rights and regulations are ordered in cases where the non-custodial parents abuses drugs or alcohol, is abusive, or does not have the parenting skills to care for the child without another adult present.

Supervised visitations can be difficult, as the presence of an outside observer, who is listening to every conversation and watching every interaction that is taking place, can make for a somewhat uncomfortable experience when you are trying to bond with your child. The visit may also take place in an unnatural setting, such as an office, which can make the experience even more discomforted.

Sometimes you may not have any say in the matter when it comes to the place that the visitation is taking place, so as a parent, you must learn ways to make the most of supervised visitation. Here are some suggestions for things to do during your supervised visitation to still make it a memorable experience with your child:

Board Games

These are great distractions, and they are a fun way to provide an opportunity for you and your child to interact and laugh together. If there is a particular game that you think your kids would enjoy playing with you, check ahead of time to see if you can bring it along.

Cooking

If you are in a setting that allows it during your visitation, cooking can allow you the chance to return to a “normal” feeling of activity with your child. Ask ahead of time if you will be meeting in a place that will provide facilities for making a snack, and bring the ingredients.

Art Project

Work on creating a project together, such as a scrapbook or collage. Choose something that can be worked on over a length of time, so each time you visit you can look forward to adding to the craft.

Reading

This is also another activity that is great to pass the time and it can also be something to look forward to for each visit. Choose a type of chapter book so you can read one chapter during each visit, allowing you and your child to look forward to the twists and turns of the story line. Reading together can also provide a lot of opportunity to have in-depth discussions about what you would each do if you were the main character in certain situations involving the plot line.

Parental visitation rights and other elements of child custody cases can be stressful and confusing. An experienced Glendale divorce lawyer at The Sampair Group will look at the unique circumstances of your child custody agreement and work with you to reach the best possible outcome. Contact us today for a consultation.