Navigating life as a new co-parent

Navigating through a new co-parenting relationship can be a difficult task. You have to figure out what is going to work for your situation and what you need to bypass. As you go through this, you will work closely with your ex because you remain a parenting team. The fact that you are one team is one of the most important things to remember.

There are going to be some instances in which you won’t agree with your ex. You need to have a plan for addressing disagreements so that you know what to expect. One rule that must be present is that you shouldn’t ever have the child relay information between parents when it has to do with a contentious matter.

Another way that you can help the situation is to encourage your children to continue to build a meaningful relationship with your ex. You might start to think about the negatives of the marriage, but you have to stop yourself when that happens. Just because your ex had a rough time in your union doesn’t mean they are a bad parent.

Because you are co-parenting, you need to ensure that you are remaining respectful of your ex. Don’t say anything negative about them in front of the kids. Instead, keep things positive, even when it is a challenge to do so.

When you are working out the terms of the child custody agreement, try to think outside of the box. Ensure that the matters that might lead to issues down the road are covered in the order, so there isn’t any question about what needs to happen.