No parent ever wants to be awarded only supervised visitation with their children. But supervised visitation is unfortunately a reality for some divorced or unmarried parents. Sometimes, they have had a role in why they were awarded only supervised visitation. This might be the scenario with a parent who is struggling to maintain their sobriety or who has been accused of domestic violence.
There are some cases where, through no fault of the parent, supervised visitation is advisable — at least initially. Men who unexpectedly learn that they have sired children will need some time to get to know their kids and often the courts find that supervised visitation is the best way to do this.
You might also have a situation where the noncustodial parent has lived away from their children for a number of years and the family needs some time to adjust to the reunification. Again, supervised visitation may be court-ordered until the children are deemed to be safe and comfortable around their other parent.
Even if you really detest the thought of having your precious time with your children be supervised by another adult, you need to mask those feelings. Showing open hostility toward the monitor will be noted in that individual’s reports to the court, to your detriment.
The fact is that young children likely won’t even be aware that the visits are supervised unless the parents make a big deal out of it. They will simply view it as another fun time spent with mom or dad, so try to make sure you don’t disappoint them with a sour attitude.
Later, your family law attorney can petition the court to allow you unsupervised visitation as long as there are no problems during the supervised visits.
