Tips for Raising Children With Your Ex When You Disagree on Parenting Styles

Co-parenting can be a delicate dance, especially when parents have different views on the most effective parenting style. While differences in opinion are natural, they can pose a challenge for people trying to raise their children after a separation or divorce. The united front you once shared with your partner is no longer what it was, and navigating these disagreements becomes more complicated. In this blog, our family law attorneys discuss ways to help you and your ex navigate the complexities of co-parenting.

Establish a Solid Co-Parenting Plan Together

The best first step you can take when it comes to productive co-parenting is to establish a solid plan. This allows expectations to be clear, comprehensive, and, if you so choose, legally binding. Having this structure also allows you and your ex to have a stable framework for making parenting decisions, which can help minimize disagreements. A solid parenting plan ensures one parent cannot control or overpower the other, which is a threat that many parents worry about. If this is a concern for you, consider creating a co-parenting plan with the help of a legal expert.

Focus on the Best Interests of the Child

You may have heard this time and time again, but for good reason. It is imperative for you and your ex to keep your child at the forefront of your discussions and to always be mindful of their best interests. Keep in mind that your children may have lost their sense of a family unit. Understand their pain and prioritize their interests. This means modeling respect for your ex, even when you may not want to.

An essential aspect of co-parenting is having open communication with your ex, so your child does not have to act as an intermediary. Having a child be an intermediary between their parents is most often harmful to a child. Lines of communication should always be open, no matter how hard it may be to do for the parents. Effective co-parenting means being open to learning from each other and leaning on each other, even after a divorce or separation when tension may be running high.

Be Flexible and Willing to Compromise

Co-parenting requires flexibility and a willingness to compromise when you may have differing views on best practices. Legal professionals advise co-parents to be open-minded about finding common ground, even if it means deviating from their preferred parenting style. Finding common ground and compromising is always simpler and faster than getting the court involved. In fact, creating an adversarial situation between the parents with contested court proceedings can make co-parenting even harder in the end. Finding common ground will help to reduce the tension that is so commonly felt by the child stuck between parents who cannot prioritize them by coming to an agreement. Do what you can to make sure your child does not grow up surrounded by conflict.

When in Doubt, Seek Legal Help From a Family Law Attorney

In the complex environment of co-parenting with an ex, seeking legal advice may be essential from the start. A family attorney can provide guidance on the legal and practical aspects of co-parenting, ensuring a parent is aware of their rights and their obligations, but also aware of strategies to be able to work together.

At the end of the day, it’s a hard job to be a parent. All you can do is try your best and learn as you go. We hope these tips help those who are navigating the challenges of co-parenting, as our goal is to help parents and their children thrive during this difficult time. Call Moskowitz Law Group to learn more from our compassionate family law team.