Aspects of the present disclosure provide techniques switching a communication link for wireless systems with multiple parents, such as an Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB) network or other type of network. In some cases, a node determines a partition of a number of desired guard symbols between a first parent node and a second parent node; sends, to the first parent node and to the second parent node, at least one indication of a partitioned number of the desired guard symbols for switching between the first parent node and the second parent node; receives at least one indication of a number of provided guard symbols from the first and second parent nodes; and switches a communication link from the first parent node to the second parent node in accordance with the at least one indication of provided guard symbols by the first parent node and the second parent node.