As a divorced parent, your children and their well-being are naturally a top concern. If you share custody with the other parent, you have to communicate and coordinate with him or her frequently.
Conflict may arise if you have a poor relationship with your co-parent or if your parenting styles greatly differ. Whether or not your co-parenting is positive may significantly affect your children’s wellbeing and development. As a result, it is important to avoid actions that only raise tensions and harm your children.
1. Talking poorly about your former spouse
This is a major mistake many parents make. Whatever wrongs your ex-spouse performed against you, whatever issues you have with each other, he or she is still your children’s beloved father or mother. Insulting your co-parent only confuses and hurts your children. Furthermore, courts may see it as parental alienation, which may result in alterations in your current custody order that do not favor you.
2. Putting your children in the middle
Arguments with your co-parent need to stay between you two. Your children love both of you, and using them as a messenger or tool to hurt or manipulate the other parent is something to avoid. It hurts your children when they have to choose between you two or bear the emotional burden of your damaged co-parenting relationship.
3. Gatekeeping your children’s care
It is natural for you to worry about your children’s health and want only the best care for them. However, cutting your co-parent out of decisions regarding their care may be equivalent to denying your children other options that may not cross your mind.
Co-parenting is between you and your ex-partner. Any problems that arise need to remain that way as well. Compromise and communication with each other are key to a healthy co-parenting relationship.
