Have co-parenting disagreements become the norm?

Even if you are confident in your ability to get along with your ex-spouse, don’t assume that you’ll never disagree with them when co-parenting your children. This is likely to happen at some point. When it does, it’s critical that you take the right steps.

When co-parenting disagreements become the norm, it’s easy for stress to bog you down. When that happens, you may find that you’re not giving your children 100 percent.

Here’s what you should do if you can’t seem to escape the cycle of arguing with your ex:

• Fall back on your parenting agreement: As a legally binding court order, it should provide you with guidance as to what you both should and shouldn’t be doing.
• Talk it out: If you’re not on the same page as your ex, it’s difficult to even consider sitting down and having an honest conversation. However, if it’s for the sake of your children’s well-being, it’s a must.
• Don’t put your children in the middle: As your disagreements and arguments continue, it’s easy to fall into the trap of using your children against your ex. Doing so only causes more problems, while also putting unnecessary stress on your children.

You shouldn’t expect everything to go smoothly when co-parenting after divorce. Despite your best efforts, there will be times when you disagree and argue.

However, if this has become an ongoing problem, you need to take immediate action. You may determine that requesting a modification of your custody agreement from the court is the best way to proceed. Your attorney can help you.