If you and your former partner have separated or got divorced and you have children together, co-parenting it is commonly regarded as the best option for the children. Although it is known as the best option, it doesn’t make the process of actually co-parenting with your former partner any easier, but in the long run, it is important that you think of the children and you want them to have the best life possible.
Setting up co-parenting guidelines within your own family can be a little bit difficult to start with, that is why so many people get assistance from lawyers working in family law in Sydney to help put forward a fair and reasonable co-parenting plan. No matter what the plan is, there’s always a need for flexibility because at the end of the day things can go wrong and plans will have to change, so when it comes to co-parenting, there needs to be just a little bit of wiggle room.
So, if you are going through a separation or even divorce with your former partner, and you want to give co-parenting a try, then have a read on below at some of the things every parent should know:
Communication
Just like many things in life, communication is key, and it will probably never be more important in this co-parenting situation. Children, no matter what age, are able to pick up on a lot more than you probably think, so it is important that your communication is not bitter or overly emotional, as you don’t want to stress your child out any more than they already are and you don’t want to force your child to take sides or anything like that.
Teamwork
Co-parenting requires effort from both parties, and whether you like it or not, you will still have to be in your former partner’s life as you continue to co-parent throughout the years. While you may no longer be a team like you were when you were together, you have to define what it means to be a team now. If you both have a common goal, of giving your child the best life possible, then that is a really good place to start with.
Transitions
Things are going to change for your child; they are going to have to transition into a new life that they didn’t think of before. This can also be an uncomfortable time for them as well, so make sure you try to make the transitions as smooth as possible. As well as this, it is important to properly handle the changeover of a parent, and the drop off/ pick up. Your child is going to be bouncing from one parent to another, so try to manage the transitions as much as possible.
Emotions
Whatever you may feel about your former partner and their actions, it is important that you do not let your emotions get the better of you, especially if you are serious about getting co-parenting to work. You may be feeling hurt or angry at your former partner, and that is okay, but this isn’t something you should be sharing with your child or speaking about with your former partner while they are still in the room or could overhear.
You never want to put your child in the middle and force them to take sides, this is exactly what you are trying to avoid when you decided that co-parenting was the best option moving forward. This is why it is important to have a good support network around you, where you can talk about this stuff without your child around.