There’s nothing simple about co-parenting. Even when you feel good about where things stand, you know that something could go wrong in the future. This is why you always need to be on your toes.
Despite the fact that there are many common co-parenting mistakes, the right strategy and approach can help you avoid each and every one. Here are a few to watch out for:
- Putting your children in the middle: Don’t ask your children for information on the other parent, such as if they are dating. Don’t tell your children about all the bad things the other parent has done to you. It doesn’t always sound harmful at first, but putting your children in the middle will come back to haunt you in the future.
- Turning your children into messengers: It’s up to you and your ex-spouse to find a way to communicate. If you can’t do so in person or over the phone, opt for email or text messages. This is much better than asking your children to carry messages back to their other parent.
- Fighting against flexibility: Yes, you have a parenting agreement in place. And yes, you should follow it as closely as possible. However, maintaining some sense of flexibility is critical. Things can and will happen that impact your schedule. Flexibility can help both parents better raise their children.
- Always looking for a fight: You’re still upset about your divorce, so you look for reasons to argue with your ex-spouse. It’s tempting, but don’t let this get in the way. If you do, it’ll bog down your ability to successfully co-parent.
- Fighting in front of your children: There will be times when you have disagreements, but you never want to argue with your children around. This puts them in the middle, and that’s not a good place for them to be.
These types of co-parenting mistakes have a way of creeping into your life. Even if you do your best to avoid them, don’t be surprised if you run into trouble every now and again.
If you’re doing your best to co-parent but the other person is fighting back at every turn of the road, learn more about your legal rights and the steps you can take to make things better on everyone.