Your divorce is in the past and it’s time to look toward the future. If you have children with your ex-spouse, however, that means co-parenting with them until the kids reach the legal age of 18.
Even if you go into co-parenting with the best intentions, it has the potential to cause serious stress and tension. Here are some of the most common reasons for these conflicts:
- Ignoring the parenting plan: During your divorce, you created a parenting plan to guide you when co-parenting. However, it’s easy to ignore this and makeup things as you go. Don’t do this. If both of you follow the terms and conditions of the parenting plan, it’s easier to stay on the right path.
- Lack of communication: You don’t want to communicate with your ex-spouse. After all, you’re no longer married. But to make the most of co-parenting, this is a must. No matter how you do it, from text messages and email to phone calls, make sure there’s always an open line of communication.
- Everything turns into a fight: There are times when you’ll disagree with your ex-spouse. That’s okay. Just make sure that every disagreement doesn’t turn into a serious argument.
If you’re struggling to co-parent with your ex-spouse, lean on your parenting plan while discussing your concerns with them. Clearing the air is often the best way to get back on track.
Should you continually run into trouble, perhaps because your ex keeps violating the parenting plan, consider your legal rights. This may lead you to seek a modification of your parenting plan.
