Raising children can be a challenge under any circumstances, but it is often exceptionally more difficult for recently divorced parents. You are likely still trying to adjust to your new normal and, if you had an especially bad split, you might even have some lingering hurt feelings that make co-parenting a bit of an uphill battle. To support your children’s best interests, you will need to set these feelings aside, so you can focus on their needs rather than on why your marriage ended.
Raising Your Children After a Divorce
Setting hurt feelings aside is not always easy after a divorce. To assist you with this, consider hiring a therapist or even confiding in a close friend or relative about your feelings. It is important to find healthy outlets where you can comfortably express yourself, so find out what works for you and, most importantly, never vent to your children. Venting to your children about your former spouse will only hurt them and interfere with the relationship they have with their parent.
Supporting your children’s relationship with their other parent is a crucial element for successful co-parenting, so try to remember that working together is about helping your children and not about the past.
Here are some additional tips that will help you and your co-parent:
- Do not use your children to deliver messages to your former spouse. It is important to always communicate directly with your spouse to ensure nothing gets lost in translation and to avoid adding anxiety and stress to your children’s lives.
- Even as effective co-parents, you and your former spouse will continue to have disagreements and arguments, so you will need to learn how to compromise and apologize whenever necessary.
- Learn what works best for you in terms of communication. Not every discussion needs to happen in-person. If phone calls or texts work better, use these methods instead.
- Keep the discussions with your former spouse focused on your children. Staying on-topic will help you deviating and getting involved in a conversation that may lead to an argument.
Co-parenting after a divorce will not be easy, but if you both put in an honest effort, you can learn to work together and raise your children as a team.
Discuss the Details of Your Case with an Experienced Attorney Today!
The aftermath of a divorce can be a trying experience, especially for parents. In some cases, you may even need further legal assistance. At Conner & Roberts, PLLC, our Chattanooga lawyer has more than 40 years of combined legal experience and is committed to helping families overcome some of the most difficult legal matters.
Contact our law office today at (423) 299-4489 to set up a consultation with one of our compassionate family law advocates.