Parenting after you split up with your child’s other parent can be a challenge. It’s imperative that you work together to come up with the terms of the parenting plan. This can help everyone to adjust to the new way of life a little easier.
There are several ways that you and your ex can work as a team to make raising the children a bit less stressful. As you’re doing this, be sure you don’t fall for these myths:
Myth #1: You will argue constantly
Part of being successful in co-parenting is making sure that you negotiate. You should be able to communicate without arguing. It might help if you remember that your sole focus now is the children. It doesn’t matter what caused the split, so leave that in the past.
Myth #2: You can stop communicating
You and your ex will have to continue communicating as long as you share the children. Come up with a plan that enables you to remain calm as you speak to each other. It may behoove you to have communication guidelines put into the parenting plan.
Myth #3: You should keep your ex from the kids
Unless your ex was abusive or has something that puts the kids in harm’s way, you shouldn’t try to keep them apart. Children deserve a relationship with both sides of the family. If you try to interfere with the relationship between your kids and their other parent, you could end up in legal trouble.
Working closely with your ex and someone who’s familiar with these matters can help you to find solutions that work for your family. Try to get this done as quickly as possible so the kids can have the stability that allows them to thrive.
