Co-parenting is a popular term, becoming more mainstream in recent years. It reflects the ability of divorced parents to continue raising their children together in a cooperative manner. Divorce can be contentious, but your children should not pay the price for that.
Strong co-parenting skills ensure that your kids maintain a good relationship with both parents without unnecessary fighting and tension after the divorce.
Put everything in writing
Misunderstandings, miscommunications and forgotten information lead to contention in co-parenting situations. Protect your child, your ex and yourself by putting everything in writing, even if it means drafting the hard copy after a phone call or physical conversation. Written documentation ensures that everyone is on the same page.
Establish boundaries to respect parenting time
Co-parenting prioritizes working together to preserve your child’s relationships with each of you. Doing that means respecting your child’s time with each parent. Establish clear boundaries about when and how a parent can reach out when the child is spending time with the other parent. Include a first right of refusal expectation as well so that, should a parent need a babysitter during their custodial time, the other parent gets the opportunity first.
Create a shared calendar
A shared calendar is a valuable tool in co-parenting. Include the child’s schedule for extracurriculars and lessons as well as both parents’ schedules so that visitation and events are visible at a glance.
These steps help make a co-parenting relationship easier to navigate and less contentious. Talk with your ex about how you can use tools such as these to simplify your communication.