Tips on Successfully Co-Parenting

Tips on Successfully Co-Parenting

One of the most difficult aspects of divorce is the matter of your parenting arrangements and coming to terms with the reality of sharing parenting time, which means that your children will no longer be under your roof 100 percent of the time. Finding your way to becoming a successful co-parent can be a challenge, but in the end, it’s well worth it, and the following tips can help. If you’re facing a parenting concern, don’t delay consulting with an experienced Illinois parenting time attorney. 

Keep the Lines of Communication Open

Parenting is a major undertaking, and the only way for you and your ex to successfully share this immense responsibility and privilege is to keep the lines of communication between you open – to the degree possible. If talking face to face is too emotionally fraught, stick to phone conversations, and if calls have a tendency to ignite fireworks, choose emails or texts, which allow a bit more of an emotional buffer. The most important point to keep in mind in terms of communications is not to use your children as go-betweens, which is not fair to them and is highly unlikely to prove effective anyway. 

Make a Schedule and Stick to It

You have a parenting plan, and the surest way to keep your co-parenting on the up and up is by sticking to it. Make sure you’re where you need to be when you need to be there, and make sure that your ex is clear regarding when they need to be where. Of course, scheduling snafus can arise, and having a backup plan in place can help you smoothly bypass such obstacles. 

Try Not to Overreact

Divorce amounts to an emotional rollercoaster and can feel like a total setup for overreacting moving forward, but if you make it your policy to take a step back in the face of minor inconveniences or surprises, it can help make things easier for everyone. If the matter at hand is something that needs addressing, bring the matter up with your ex when the time is right, which includes all the following parameters:

• The kids aren’t around.
• You’ve had the time you need to get a handle on your emotions and the matter at hand.
• You have the documentation you need to support your concern.

Keep Exchanges as Light and Friendly as Possible

While you don’t need to linger during your drop-offs and pickups, the lighter and more pleasant you can keep them, the better it will be for your children, who undoubtedly have plenty of stress of their own. This fake it ‘till you make it approach may even help you find it in your heart to take a friendlier stance when it comes to your ex overall. 

Turn to an Experienced Illinois Parenting Attorney for the Help You Need

The seasoned Illinois parenting time attorneys at the SAM LAW OFFICE LLC recognize how difficult co-parenting can be and have a wealth of experience helping clients like you obtain the parenting arrangements that allow them to successfully master this challenging transition. Learn more by contacting us today.