Parents who aren’t in a relationship any longer have to determine how they’re going to handle the parenting arrangement. One option that they have is to use the co-parenting method of parenting the children.
Co-parenting means that you and your ex will work closely together to support the children and raise them. The goal is to provide the children with the stability that they need to thrive. There are several things that you should remember if you’re co-parenting.
Flexibility is important
One of the most important points of co-parenting is that you’re going to need to be flexible. The schedule isn’t always going to go as planned. There will be events that you and your ex attend together. Being able to remain as flexible as possible can help the children because they’ll see that rolling with situations as they happen is an important skill.
Communication should be direct and professional
You and your ex should be able to communicate openly. Never try to relay messages through the children. Instead, you and your ex should be comfortable turning to each other when there are issues. You should be able to make decisions together with your ex. Just be sure that you’re doing what’s best for the kids as you make decisions and negotiate the terms of raising the children.
Every co-parenting relationship is going to have conflicts periodically. Having a solid parenting plan that you can turn to for the answers when things go downhill is important. Getting the terms set up so they meet the child’s needs is important. This may take some time and creativity but it’s worth the effort when you see your child thrive despite the major change that’s come into their life.
