Co-parenting can be a difficult thing to adapt to. It can seem impossible to work with your ex-partner, leaving you feeling lost and unsure of what to do. Here at Bineham & Gillen, we’ve seen many divorces and we know the difference between successful and unsuccessful co-parenting. Here are some co-parenting tips you should know.
Put the Child’s Needs First
Learning to co-parent after a divorce is extremely difficult but above all, you should remember your child and their needs. It may seem difficult and even impossible to co-parent at first but it’s important to make it work for the sake of the child. Put all feelings aside about your ex-spouse and talk with them about how you can both make sure your child has a good upbringing despite the divorce.
Remember, every child deserves to have two loving parents in their life. Make sure you are doing everything you can on your part to make sure your child’s needs are met.
Set Schedules
As you both move on from the divorce, you both will likely begin to pursue new things and both of your schedules will change. To make sure you both get to spend time with your child, talk with your ex-spouse about your new schedules. Agree on set times that seek to both meet each other’s needs and your child’s needs.
Remember, the schedule won’t be perfect for either one of you. It’s important to talk it out the best you both can to try and come up with a plan that benefits your child best.
Team Up When Necessary
There will be many times where your child needs more than just one parent. Whether it be birthday parties, graduates, or sports events, your child will likely want the both of you there. When these times come, you both must come together to be there for your child. Try to remember, you are there for your kid. Work with your ex-partner as best you can and keep your child’s needs in mind.
Compromise
There will be times where you have to work with your ex-partner on something and it may seem like they are impossible to work with. It’s important to stay calm. If you get angry and lash out, you could ruin any future chances to communicate with your ex-partner, making things more difficult for your child. It may prove extremely difficult sometimes, but it’s important to realize things won’t work out perfectly. Sometimes you will have to compromise and let your partner have it their way. If you are generous with your compromises, in the beginning, your ex-partner may be more inclined to work with you as you both move forward with co-parenting.
Communicate
No part of co-parenting will be easy but if you don’t establish and keep steady communication, then it will be next to impossible. It might be uncomfortable at first, but you must establish consistent communication to work out schedules and other compromises. While calling and texting can work well in some instances, it’s also important to communicate face-to-face. Showing your child that you both can still talk to one another can be very important to them.
The most important thing you can remember is that you can’t do it all alone. That’s where Bineham & Gillen can help.
Here at Bineham & Gillen, we’ve seen many types of divorce scenarios. From military divorce to LGBT divorce, We can help with the division of assets, make sure child support payments are fair, get you a temporary restraining order and more. If you’re in San Antonio, contact us today.
