Co-Parenting
Co-Parenting in a Healthy Way
Co-parenting is critical for your child’s well being. You must share the duties of co-parenting in a healthy way to protect your child’s emotional health. It will be challenging, but, it is critical for your child’s well being. When both parents share the same goal it creates structure. Communication and cooperation are the two main components of co-parenting well. Effective communication insures less conflict when your child is living between two households. The most important element is communicating and setting up standards for how that will be done. You must decide whether you and your co-parent communicate best in written form or face to face. What works best for one family may be different for another family. Consistency in communication is key to successful co-parenting.
Rules and Boundaries
Once the method of communication is established and scheduling is out of the way, it’s important to set up consistent rules and boundaries for both households. Your child’s need of structure is vital and requires cooperation between parents. The goal is to keep your child’s well-being the focus of all communication. Neither parent needs to be concerned with their own needs and emotions. Keep in mind that co-parenting communication is between parents. It is never ok to use your child to communicate co-parenting information. This protects your child from feeling caught in the middle of any conflict or disagreement. Realize that cooperation is not giving in to the other parent, it is what’s in the best interest of your child. If both parents can keep that in mind and stay positive it will greatly impact your child’s well being in a positive manner.
Co-parenting for your child’s well being is not without challenges. But, once these standards are in place, it will produce a successful parenting plan. It’s helpful to remember the three C’s – communication, consistency and cooperation.