Some parents in West Virginia will find themselves in situations where they do not want to be together as a couple but want to raise their children. While it might seem impossible to successfully achieve this if the parents are not on the best terms, couples who put the best interests of the child can find ways to make co-parenting work.
Learn how to communicate
Communication between the parents might be the most important factor in making co-parenting work, as parents need to be able to discuss the different aspects of their child’s life and make appropriate decisions. If parents cannot do this, they might fall into a cycle of blame and conflict. However, having clear, open conversations and regular check-ins with each other about the way the child is doing and what is coming up, can allow the parents to both be aware of any issues or upcoming events. Parents might also choose to use an online calendar to keep track of any important dates so that neither parent misses any events important to their children.
The dos and don’ts of co-parenting
Positive co-parenting also depends on some rules. If both parents adhere to them, conflicts might be avoided, and differences might be resolved faster without negatively impacting the child. Some of these rules include:
• Never putting the children in the middle of your conflict with your co-parent
• Being consistent with your parenting decisions and parenting schedules
• Never speaking negatively about your co-parent
• Being open and flexible when it comes to changes
• Respecting the role the other co-parent plays in the child’s life
• Sharing important events and activities with your co-parent
A lot of the rules for successful co-parenting can be incorporated into a parenting plan. Detailed parenting plans not only help co-parents succeed in raising their children; they can also help families with conflicts later.