Important advice for you and your co-parent

On behalf of Furr & Cohen, P.A. posted in Child Custody on Saturday, March 8, 2014.

You and your child’s other parent ultimately decided to go your separate ways for any number of reasons. You may still harbor negative feelings rooted in your split, or you simply may have a difficult time coping with how your co-parent chooses to behave. Whatever your unique child custody and parenting situation, if you and your co-parent are choosing to remain in your child’s life and your co-parent is not abusive, it is going to benefit all of you if you can navigate your relationship as peacefully and professionally as possible.

Many parents find that approaching their co-parenting roles as metaphorical business partners helps to keep strong emotions out of everyday interactions. If you consider your child’s best interests to be your mutually shared “business” and you focus on that end at all times, it may help you to interact more civilly and with increasingly focused intentions.

If you continue to bring tension into your relationship with your co-parent, your child will almost certainly notice, be affected by it and model your behavior in some way later in life. While you certainly cannot control your co-parent’s behavior, you can monitor your own and ensure that it comports with your values as a parent and as a person.

When in doubt and when you feel like your serenity is spiraling a bit out of control, remember one simple phrase: I love my child more than I (dislike/despise) my co-parent. This straightforward reminder will help you focus on the issue at hand and to behave in ways that are unlikely to result in regret later.

Source: The Huffington Post, “7 Pieces Of Advice All Co-Parents Need To Hear,” Feb. 25, 2014