The Biggest Co-parenting Challenges You Will Face

If you and your former partner have children, you will need to maintain a relationship with some level of cordiality for the sake of raising those kids. Co-parenting can be a tough challenge for divorced parents, especially in particularly contentious relationships. Fortunately, the challenges that come with it can be overcome with maturity and communication.

Below are just a few examples of these challenges:

• Synchronizing home life: With children spending time in two different homes, it can be difficult to maintain consistency. It’s important to ensure bedtime is the same time in both households and that the general rules of the house are consistent. This is critical for children whose parents have divorced if they are to adjust to their new lifestyle.
• Lack of cooperation: If you have a former partner who is uncooperative, it can be very frustrating, especially from a parenting standpoint. It may be tempting to respond to terse greetings or messages with rudeness of your own, but if you can remain courteous at all times, it will go a long way toward creating a more cooperative co-parenting relationship.
• Loss of control: It can be very difficult for some parents to relinquish control over their children when they are with the other parent. Understand that there will be some differences in parenting styles and that your children need to have a positive relationship with both parents. Do not overstep your boundaries when they are with the other parent.
• Scheduling: Coordinating events for your children when you and your former spouse have your own calendars to consider can be tough. Fortunately, technology has made this easier, with plenty of cloud-based apps and calendars (like Google Calendar) you can use to easily track each other’s schedules with the children and any events they have coming up.

To establish a child custody and co-parenting agreement that meets the needs of you and your children, meet with an experienced Long Island family law and divorce lawyer at Bryan L. Salamone & Associates.