A Frank Conversation About Co-Parenting in a Pandemic
Divorced parents. A 13-year-old-daughter. Quarantine. Could it be any more uncertain?
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When the coronavirus hit, my primary concern was my 12-year-old daughter. Her dad and I have been divorced for several years, and we’ve always managed to co-parent without conflict: Since she was eight years old, she’s spent alternating weeks with each of us. But in addition to being co-parents, Erik’s also my friend — and I’ve always been grateful for what we’ve built as ex-spouses. But then there was a global pandemic.
Suddenly, he and I were disagreeing on what to do, and flailing for answers to problems we didn’t even understand. While it’s certainly not over, right now it seems like the worst (or at least the first) has passed. In honor of Father’s Day, I called him up so we could post-game our pandemic parenting. From puberty to messiness, and from lackluster birthdays to maintaining an optimistic outlook, we get into everything. So here’s to you, dads: Married, divorced, single, or otherwise, you’re raising the kids who are going to help make this world a better place.
