Making the change from a romantic relationship while raising children to a co-parenting relationship is often challenging. Parents who can successfully navigate this change can often help their children to thrive despite the new way of life.
One area that’s often challenging for co-parents is communication. Remembering a few tips may make this a bit less stressful.
Always focus on the children’s needs
The focus of all conversations between co-parents should be the children’s needs. Keeping the focus on the kids minimizes the possibility of things that happened at the end of your relationship clouding your judgment.
Always communicate directly
Co-parents should always communicate directly with each other instead of trying to have the children relay messages. By communicating directly, there’s less of a chance of incorrect information being exchanged. Additionally, it won’t put the children in the tough spot of feeling like they may have to pick sides in a battle between their parents.
Always stay calm
There will likely be times when disagreements between co-parents occur. It’s critical to stay calm during these discussions. If the matter isn’t pressing, it might be best to take a step back to think about matters before coming back together to discuss it.
The parenting plan governs certain points related to how the children are raised and what responsibilities each parent has, including the terms for communication and dispute resolution. Getting this together as quickly as possible after the separation or divorce can make it easier for everyone to adjust to the new circumstances. Having someone assist with getting this together can help to ensure no critical points are missed.