How to Manage Disagreements Effectively When Co-Parenting

Parenting is an immense responsibility that comes with a wide array of challenges, and co-parenting can make things that much more complicated. You and your children’s other parent are no longer together for a reason, and that reason can lead to disagreements that interfere with effective co-parenting. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to help you manage disagreements and proceed smoothly forward – allowing your children’s best interests to guide you – and an experienced California child custody attorney can help you with that. 

Put Your Anger on the Back Burner

It is only natural to have some resentment and anger after a transition as significant as a divorce or a breakup with your children’s other parent. While this anger may be well-founded, it serves no useful purpose when it comes to co-parenting. When the matter directly affects your children, it is time to set your anger aside and focus on what is best for them in the situation at hand. 

Keep the Lines of Communication as Open as Possible

In order to co-parent effectively, you and your ex need to communicate openly with one another. The fact is that even if you have an ironclad parenting time schedule in place, glitches will arise, and in order to handle them smoothly and in real-time, the lines of communication need to remain open. This can mean different things for different co-parenting teams. Consider the following options:

• Simply making a call when the need arises and sticking to the matter at hand gets the job done and works for many exes – even those with considerable animosity.
• If you, your ex, or both of your feelings are still very raw, communicating over the phone or in person may not be feasible. Communicating via text, email, or another electronic means may be a better option – as long as you are both vigilant about staying on top of your messages.
• There are parenting apps out there, such as Our Family Wizard, that allow co-parents to share critical information through the app, which can help take some of the pressure off.

Focus on Team Effort

Regardless of the differences between you and your ex, you both want what is best for your children, which makes you a parenting team. Focusing on this connection can smooth the way for improved co-parenting.

Simplify the Process to the Degree Possible

The fact is that your children are going to spend time with you in your home and time with their other parent in theirs, which translates to a lot of going back and forth. Keeping the following helpful hints in mind can make the process less arduous:

• Keep duplicates of everything you can reasonably afford in both homes.
• Keep a master list – by season – of everything your children need to carry back and forth with them

It Is Time to Consult with an Experienced California Child Custody Attorney

The seasoned child custody lawyers at Miranda, Magden & Miranda, LLP – proudly serving both the Monterey and Salinas areas – have a wealth of experience helping clients like you obtain favorable parenting plans, and we are here for you, too. Learn more by contacting us today.