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Co-parenting after a divorce can be quite a challenge. You and your former spouse might still have a lot of unresolved problems to deal with and the trust you once had in each other might be damaged. Although no one will expect you to restore a friendly or intimate relationship, you should learn how to set your personal feelings aside to effectively co-parent your children together in a healthy and loving environment.

Tips to Help You Co-Parent with Your Ex-Spouse

One way to go about adjusting to a new dynamic with your former spouse is to think of your co-parenting relationship as an entirely new relationship, separate from your marriage. As co-parents, your priority is your children and their needs should always come before yours. Therefore, all of your past grievances must take a backseat so you can better focus on their needs.

By setting aside the wounds of the past, you can both learn to move forward and focus on creating a new dynamic that serves the best interests of your children. After all, their future is the one common goal you can both agree on.

Here are some tips to help you learn to co-parent with your former spouse:

• Do not involve your children: If you have a disagreement with your co-parent, do not put your children in the middle or involve them in your conflict. Doing so will only burden them with unnecessary stress and make them feel like they have to pick a side. Your children have enough to deal with, so try to keep your arguments between you and co-parent, without using them as messengers or therapists.

• Learn which methods of communication work best: In-person interactions or phone conversations might not be the best methods of communication for you and your former spouse. Figure out what works best and yields fewer conflicts, then stick with it. Texting or emailing might work best, but you will never know without a little trial and error.

• Maintain consistent household rules: It would be near impossible for you and your ex-spouse to maintain identical households, but you should try to agree on a few key household rules. Otherwise, one parent will inevitably be perceived as more fun or strict than the other, which can result in parental alienation.

• Resolve arguments more effectively: Not every disagreement needs to become an all-out war. Try to let go of the small stuff and learn how to navigate the real issues. When respect is mutual and both parties are good listeners, it can go a long way in a conversation. Most of all, both parties should be willing to compromise. Your co-parent will be far more willing to work with you if you also show some flexibility.

As long as the two of you show an honest effort to work together on improving your relationship as co-parents, your dynamic should continue to mend.

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