Many parents who go through a divorce choose to remain committed to raising their children together. While it’s not always easy to co-parent, the parents usually think the benefits for their children are worth the effort.
There are a few ways that parents can make the situation easier for everyone involved. Remembering these tips throughout one’s child custody journey can be beneficial.
1. Be reasonably willing to discuss matters
You and your ex need to have open communication throughout the custody matter. By speaking directly to each other and sticking to the points related to your children, you can work things out much easier than if both parties are focusing on how to make life more miserable for the other person.
It may help you to remember that there’s likely more than one way to solve problems that come up. One issue that some people have after divorce is that they feel like they have to “win,” but that viewpoint of the situation can cause harm to the children.
2. Make transition days simple
Children may dread transition days because they worry about how their parents are going to react to seeing each other. Instead of making these days hard for the children, keep them as simple as possible by not bringing up contentious matters while you’re meeting.
3. Plan major events early
Major events, such as vacations, should be planned as early as possible. This will give you a chance to determine if any scheduling needs to be shifted or traded. It may behoove you to ensure you have terminology in your parenting plan that outlines how major scheduling conflicts will be handled.
One of the first things you’ll need to do when you separate from your child’s other parent is to get your parenting plan in order. This outlines what happens with the children so you and your ex can ensure that they’re getting what they need. You must set this as quickly as possible so the children can start to enjoy genuine stability.