When your marriage comes to an end, you may struggle to come to an agreement with your estranged spouse. While this can be challenging enough when you are dividing up your Texas property and dealing with family relationships and friendships, it becomes even more complicated when children are involved. You don’t have to like your ex or get along, but you want to provide your children with a supportive environment. After all, children can suffer on many levels when their parents fight constantly over child custody.
Putting aside differences to co-parent
It’s not necessary to retain a friendship with your former partner after the divorce or break-up. In many cases, the end of a relationship may involve infidelity, harsh arguments or other serious issues. However, your children should not be the outlet for your frustrations with their other parent; adult friends or a therapist are a more appropriate outlet. By keeping the best interests of your children in mind throughout the process, you may work to develop a neutral or even businesslike relationship with their other parent. Even when you do not get along at all, you can still successfully co-parent.
Mutual respect is key
Even if the two of you find it difficult to respect or like each other in relationship matters, it is important to do so when it comes to parenting choices. Communication is critical to successful co-parenting, but boundaries are also important: you can confine your communication to child custody matters, focusing on the children’s needs and interests.
Children of divorced parents can grow up happily in homes filled with love and care when both parents make the effort to co-parent successfully. A attorney may help parents to develop positive agreements to handle child custody, develop parenting plans and establish joint goals for the ongoing relationship.