Child custody conflicts can lead to serious damage for the children because they are dealing with a major life upheaval that involves the family foundation they’ve known their entire life. One of the best ways that parents can help children is to come up with the terms of the parenting plan early so they can start to have the stability they need to thrive.
Making the change to the new way of life is often challenging. Both parents have to work as a team, but this isn’t always possible if the situation is tense. Trying to find ways to encourage a unified front should be a top priority.
Keep an open mind
You have to keep an open mind when you are working with your ex to come up with the terms of the custody agreement. Negotiations benefit everyone since they enable you to find mutual ground for major custody decisions.
Discuss things in private
Never have discussions about child custody when the kids are around. They don’t need to hear the back and forth that goes on. Don’t try to send messages to your ex through the kids because what you say might be misrepresented and playing messenger puts the children in a precarious position.
Leave the past alone
You should never base your current decisions on what happened between you and your ex during the marriage. It is possible for someone who was a lousy spouse to be a good parent, so keep your focus on how the current situation impacts your child.
Emphasize respect
All interactions between you and your ex must be respectful. Even if you don’t get along, having a business-like demeanor when you must interact is useful. This also shows an excellent example for your children because they see that adults sometimes need to put their feelings aside to work toward a common goal with others.
Encourage peace
The transition time from one house to another is a stressful period for the children. Keep this time stress-free by focusing only on the children. The parent who has the children should bring them to the other parent so that the kids have the drive there to adjust.
Make sure that all the things you agree upon are put into the parenting plan. You might be able to modify the custody agreement in the future if circumstances change.
