Family Law

Tips for Co-Parenting Success

By J. Benjamin Stevens

When you have children, your interaction with your ex-spouse doesn't end at divorce.  When the parents are focused on what's in their children's best interest, they employ the following tips to help maximize their co-parenting success:

• Respect your co-parent's boundaries :: Different parenting styles can result in conflicting rules and try to accept that it may actually be beneficial for your kids to experience other ways of doing things.
• Create routine co-parent check-ins :: Remember that the more parents communicate with one another about their children, the less likely for small issues to grow into major problems. 
• Encourage your child's co-parent relationship :: Never forget that your children need a healthy connection with their other parent. 
• Be compassionate with your in-laws :: Remember that a Grandparent's love doesn't stop after divorce and that children can love both sides of their family.
• Above all, be flexible :: Keep in mind that you are still a parenting team working on behalf of your children.

You can read much more about each of these concepts by clicking here.

Source:  "Make Smart Choices for Post-Divorce Co-Parenting Success" by Rosalind Sedacca, published at Child-Centered Divorce.

Full post as published by SC Family Law Blog on March 23, 2010 (boomark / email).