Unless there are extenuating circumstances, courts generally encourage co-parenting arrangements. However, it may be easier said than done to make them work. Survivedivorce.com recently gave over 100 tips for healthy communication to ease the tension of co-parenting. Here are just a few:
Communicating with your ex: Listen. Sometimes the best thing to do is to simply hear what the other person has to say.
Communicating with your children: Tell them you love them as often as possible and talk to them about the divorce.
Keep conversations with children at an appropriate level: Children’s emotional development may not match up with their age, so take that into consideration.
Manage emotions and resolve conflict: Manage your tone and accusatory language. If you aren’t in a good head space when your ex reaches out, take some time to gather yourself before you respond.
Develop a co-parenting plan: Courts often want to see a comprehensive co-parenting plan with clear plan elements.
Maintain consistent discipline and routine: Discipline and reward with consistency from household to household and try to keep both households on similar routines.
Enforce your parental rights: Take steps to ensure your rights as a parent are protected and try to resolve any conflicts before they have a chance to escalate.
Manage high-conflict co-parenting: Suspend the normal rules if you’re threatened but realize that if you’re the one causing the conflict, you’re only hurting yourself.
Use apps to minimize the chaos: Decide what app functions you want and do some research. Apps like OurFamilyWizard can save thousands in professional fees in the long run.
If you are looking for assistance in creating – or enforcing – a co-parenting plan, contact the Albany divorce and family attorneys at LaClair & DeLuca. Call us at (518) 650-8861, or email admin@laclairdeluca.com.