The need to care for and parent your children never ends, even if your marriage is over. After a divorce, sometimes it feels impossible to put aside conflicts with your ex-spouse.
Knowing the common disputes that exist between co-parents will help you avoid additional grief and stress.
1. You worry about your children with the other parent.
While your children are in their other parent’s custody, assess if you constantly worry about them. If so, the issue may reside with you, and not with the co-parent. Show your children that you have faith in the capabilities of your co-parent to help them feel more comfortable with their new normal.
2. Your parenting styles differ.
Compromise on your parenting style to try to mesh with that of your ex-spouse. Consistency is key for important issues such as homework, sleep schedule, extracurriculars and diet.
3. The co-parent uses the children as weapons.
Parents who still have emotional issues coming off from their divorce have a difficult time co-parenting. Narcissism and passive-aggressiveness do not work when you are co-parenting. Your grievances with the other against the other parent is not about your children, but rather about you trying to hurt each other.
Protect your children from harm by avoiding using them in a manipulative way since courts view this as a form of child abuse.
5. One of the co-parents breaks the parenting agreement.
You should submit a plan to the court if co-parenting, also known as shared parenting, is in the best interest of the child. If you break the agreement, it can lead to arguments between you and your ex-spouse, so adhering closely to the agreement alleviates stress and saves a visit to court.
