Regardless of what your custody arrangement looks like, your relationship with your child’s other parent can quickly deteriorate, making it hard to co-parent effectively. While this can be incredibly stressful and leave you feeling overwhelmed, it can also be harmful to your child’s emotional, psychological, and social well-being.
So, what can you do to protect your child’s best interests in a contentious custody arrangement? Is your co-parenting arrangement salvageable? Let’s take a closer look.
Tips for repairing your co-parenting relationship
It may not seem like it, but there’s a lot you can do to rebuild your co-parenting relationship. This includes each of the following:
- Being open and honest in your communications with the other parent and specifying what you need for the co-parenting relationship to work.
- Recognizing that things will change and that you’ll have to be flexible.
- Trying to defuse conflict so that you avoid highly contentious situations and can get back to focusing on your child’s best interests.
- Avoiding putting your child in the middle of your disagreements with the other parent.
- Using technology to your advantage so that scheduling parenting time, holidays, vacations, and special events is easier.
- Setting clear boundaries with the child’s other parent so that you don’t end up completely overwhelmed.
- Helping the other parent realize that, no matter what, you’re in this together.
What if you still can’t get co-parenting to work?
If utilizing the tips mentioned above still doesn’t get you results and it’s hurting your child’s mental and emotional well-being, then you might have to seek a custody modification.
Remember you’ll have to articulate how a modification is in your child’s best interests. That means you’ll need evidence to support whatever it is you’re requesting. Your child’s future is on the line, so be as thorough and as persuasive as possible when building your child custody arguments.