Many things can be a part of a person’s everyday reality post-divorce. If they have kids, one such thing can be co-parenting with their ex. While one would hope the co-parenting relationship with one’s ex would go smoothly, this doesn’t always happen. Conflicts can arise between co-parents over many different things. Some examples of things that can be sources of conflict among divorced parents when it comes to co-parenting include:
- Scheduling matters, such as last-minute scheduling changes.
- Household rules, such rules regarding bedtimes and discipline.
- Inconsistencies in overall household structure for the kids between the parents.
- Differences in parenting strategies between the parents.
When conflicts arise between co-parents, whether they be over the above-mentioned matters or other issues, many different things can have major ramifications for the parents and their kids. This includes: how the parents react to the disagreement, how the parents act around the kids during the course of the conflict, what the parents say about the conflict and each other to the kids, what actions the parents take to try to resolve the conflict and how the conflict is ultimately resolved.
So, when co-parenting conflicts arise, handling the conflict in the right way can be critical. The consequences of parents mishandling such conflicts can be significant, possibly including things such as an erosion of communication between the parents, the co-parenting relationship becoming strained, it becoming more difficult for the parents to work together to do what is best for the kids and the post-divorce situation being more emotionally challenging for the children.
Given this, giving careful thought as to how to handle the situation can be key for divorcing parents when they get into a co-parenting-related conflict with their ex. In some situations, having the advice of a skilled family law attorney may prove very helpful for divorcing parents in their efforts to find the most appropriate way of addressing a co-parenting-related conflict with their ex.
Source: The Huffington Post, “7 Issues All Co-Parents Face And How To Overcome Them,” Carolin Lehmann, July 20, 2016
