It’s no mystery that parenting has its challenges. Divorcing and divorced couples face even more challenges which vary from transporting children to and from after school activities to how best to handle a child who refuses to see the other parent. Generally when faced with these parenting issues during an intact family situation, parents have the support and enforcement of the other parent and they work together to meet their child’s needs and ultimately resolve the issue. Unfortunately, that is not always the case during or after a divorce. On top of typical parenting challenges, divorcing or divorced parents are also faced with co-parenting challenges and the concept of two parents making joint decisions but no longer in an intact family unit. Many couples hear a great deal about the “don’ts” of co-parenting such as not bad-mouthing your ex and not involving your children in conflicts with your ex, and those are good rules to follow. A recently published article in Psychology Today reveals some helpful tips on how to successfully co-parent. In addition to these tips, parents can also benefit from the assistance of a professional who is experienced in family therapy as well as helping families create and implement effective parenting plans that truly are in the child’s best interest.
