Once your divorce is finalized and your parenting agreement is in place, you’ll know what’s expected of you in regards to the way you raise your child.
Co-parenting is every bit as challenging as it sounds, especially if your ex-spouse is not willing to do his or her part in making it easier.
While there are sure to be times when you argue with your ex about how to best raise your child, there are steps you can take in an attempt avoid a fight:
- Always think about your child first: Rather than do what’s best for you, think about your child and how to serve his or her wants and needs.
- Respect the other parent: Yes, this can be a challenge at times, but you need to get into the habit.
- Don’t judge the other parent: This goes along with respecting him or her. Just as you’ll make mistakes, your ex is sure to do the same.
- Remain flexible: Even though you want to stick to your parenting agreement, there will be times when flexibility is an absolute must.
- Keep an open line of communication: It doesn’t matter how you communicate with your spouse as long as you have a system in place for doing so in an efficient manner. For some, face-to-face conversations are easiest. For others, email or text messages make the most sense.
Co-parenting is sure to throw you for a curve every now and again. By understanding your rights as a parent, it’s much easier to avoid future fights with your ex-spouse.
Source: The Huffington Post, “Co-Parenting: 5 Steps to Avoiding Conflict Escalation,” accessed May 11, 2018
