When deciding between monitoring only during parenting time or daily monitoring, it’s important to consider the degree of alcohol dependence your custody arrangement entails. Those who decide on daily monitoring are dealing with a parent who has a serious alcohol dependence.
Alcohol Dependent Parent
An alcohol dependent parent is usually in denial of how much they drink and the impact that their drinking may have on the children. Alcohol dependent parents who do not practice full-time abstinence can run into problems during parenting time. For example, they will intend to have only one drink, but one drink will inevitably turn into many more. And in general, they will have difficulty dealing with abstinence restrictions.
Requiring full-time abstinence, and verification of it, with Soberlink can reinforce good habits and even lower the risk of relapse during parenting time.
An active alcohol dependence, or alcoholism, can negatively impact co-parenting relationships and even destroy trust between parent and child. If an alcohol dependent parent agrees to (or is mandated to) participate in Soberlink monitoring, the program and successful abstinence can help reestablish that lost trust and rebuild relationships.
Soberlink alcohol monitoring can act as a physical and mental deterrent to drinking. We can hope that these better habits during parenting time will bleed into day-to-day life for the dependent parent through repeated structure and accountability.
Whether you decide on daily monitoring or only monitoring during parenting time, abstinence verification and monitoring with Soberlink is the most reliable way to navigate alcohol issues in child custody arrangements.
About the Author
Soberlink supports accountability for sobriety through a comprehensive alcohol monitoring system. Combining a breathalyzer with wireless connectivity, the portable design and technology includes facial recognition, tamper detection and real-time reporting. Soberlink proves sobriety with reliability to foster trust and peace of mind.