People that do co-parenting were once married, now are not, and are sharing responsibility of raising their child or children. More than likely, you have a court ordered joint custody agreement, or you could have a simple arrangement that you try to follow. In most cases, a situation like this is difficult for all parties involved. It's just how it works. Done the right way, there will not be that many conflicts. All parties involved will come out virtually scar free from the situation.



Be sure to keep your children's lives as organized and planned as you can. For example, it's best if a child has the same bedtime and meal times at both parents' homes.



It would help if the guidelines in the two homes were somewhat the same as well. If the courses of action you and your ex adopt are too different; the children may be terribly bewildered. One parent may be a lot more lenient than the other and the children may wonder why there is Plano Family Counseling such a big difference. When you are making these sorts of arrangements it is crucial that you be fair and as good natured as you can be. It is critical that you keep the living arrangements trouble free for the kids, but by no mean do the homes need to be identical.



When co-parenting is new on the scene; realize that the entire family is affected in a negative way. Considering the stage of life your child is in will be the foundation from which you should watch for reactions from depression to bitterness and everything in between. When your child is missing the other parent you must be sympathetic and considerate of their feelings.



It won't be a good idea to argue with your child when they would rather choose who they would like to live with or visit. In significant circumstances someone may need to be called in to counsel the child. At this time, co-parenting situations are universal; even with this it is still rough on the kids.



The bylaws and perceptions of how things are run in a home with both parents living in it usually runs rather smoothly. Any co-parenting relationship ought to be similar if not the same.



If one parent takes care of more duties; there may be repercussions when the split takes place. With the division, one of the parents may realize that some adjustments may need to be made. Parenting skills need to be split in a more balanced way; rather than one designated to the negative issues and the other for reinforcement. This isn't a satisfactory way to live even in a whole family and when it splits the children are left bewildered. So try to maintain a balance in your parenting style and encourage the other parent to do so as well. Although we have covered some issues pertaining to co-parenting, you probably need to do a little more research on your own. Deciding on the best plan, especially in the beginning, is really a difficult thing to do. When parents first breakup, and go their separate ways, there is hostility between the two of them for quite some time. You need to try your best to get along with the other parent. It's all about the kids. Remember?