Co-parenting with an ex
No one gets into a relationship and purposely have a child just to not be together. But, things happen; people change, people grow apart and sometimes, things just were never meant to be. So, how do you raise a child when you are no longer together? You co-parent!
"Co parenting, sometimes called joint parenting or shared parenting is the experience of raising children as a single parent when separation or divorce occurs."
I know we live in a generation where we don't see much healthy break ups when a child is involved but, trust me when I tell you, it CAN be done. I'm not going to sit here and tell you that it will be an easy road but what relationship is? Yes, this is a relationship that you still have with this other parent! You are forever connected to him/her because of this little human. So, how can we create a healthy atmosphere for all the parties involved? Read on for some tips...
1. Don't just talk, LISTEN to what the other parent is trying to say. Don't just listen, SPEAK!
There's nothing more disrespectful than when someone is trying to express their feelings or thoughts and it's being disregarded. We're all adults (I hope lol) but, emotions do get the best of us sometimes and that's okay. So, in a situation where you feel like your feelings are clouding your common sense, a simple, "let's talk about this at a better time because I don't want to say the wrong things right now," can go a long way.
2. Because this child will now be raised in two different homes, rules and boundaries must be put into place between the two parents. For us, one of our rules in BOTH homes is that on school nights, my daughter has to be in bed by 9pm. Kids should not be allowed to live completely different lives just because mom and dad aren't living under the same roof. Kids need consistency in their lives.
If you would like to read more on co-parenting, you can visit Mrs. Lynn website at www.lovelynnjacques.wixsite.com/website
