If you and your spouse have decided that it is time for a divorce, you need to think about your children. Taking them into consideration should be at the top of your list. While co-parenting in Florida can be complicated, the more you can work together, the better your children will handle the divorce.
Maintain normalcy
While things will be different with one parent gone most of the time, you can help keep your child rooted by maintaining as much of their routine as possible. Try to stay on good terms with your child’s other parent and decide how you want to discipline the child. Both parents should determine what activities a child will participate in and make it a point to be there for ballgames, recitals and other activities as much as possible.
Support the other spouse
Even if you wonder what you ever saw in your spouse, do not let your children hear you say anything negative about them. If your child expresses a problem with the other parent, tell them that you are sure that they can work it out if they talk to them. Listen to stories of adventures that your child has had with the other parent and find ways to sincerely interject how great you think it is that the other parent let them do that.
Keep your time commitments
An essential part of being a good parent after a divorce is keeping your time commitments involving timesharing & child custody matters. It should be near the top of your priority list. A lawyer may help you work out a visitation schedule. If you move far away, find ways to stay connected through resources such as Facebook Live or Zoom. You may even want to plan on watching a sporting event on television together or reading the same book.
Your child is counting on you to still be a great parent after getting a divorce. That often starts with setting out the terms of the divorce in your divorce papers. Seeking the help of an attorney may help you with that.