Successfully co-parenting can be one of the most challenging aspects of being a single mom. You may have an absent dad who you are trying to get child support from, you may be trying to get your non-cooperative ex to have more time with the kids, or maybe you don’t want your ex to have any visitation but you have to respect their rights. Whatever your circumstances are, if you have to co-parent you need to figure out the best way to do so for the sake of your children.
It can be extremely difficult to put aside your own feelings, (especially if your breakup didn’t go well) to keep things civil for your kids. Hell even if you have a good co-parenting relationship, there may still be snafus that come up along your co-parenting journey.
These are some of the best resources for how to co-parent successfully so your kids can thrive!
And because many times children get lost in the shuffle because their parents are going through such a huge emotional upheaval, or parents don’t know how to explain what is happening to their children, I’ve also included some great resources on how to help children through the transition of divorce or separation.
Co-parenting “For the Sake of Our Children”
This gives you ten great tips on how to co-parent through and after a divorce or separation. They help you remember to keep your kids at the forefront of your mind and what’s best for them when going through a divorce or separation.
20 Low Threat Co-parenting Date Ideas
I love this for the co-parents who are able to spend time around each other. This resource gives you ideas on outings you and your ex can go on with your kids. It’s a great way for your kids to see you can still get along, which is important to them!
These 10 tips are a great resource for how to work on your relationship with the other parent so you can co-parent.
10 Steps to Follow When Co-Parenting is a Nightmare
Maybe you don’t have the type of relationship with your ex where you can talk about what is going on with your child. This is a wonderful resource for what you can do when your child is struggling living in two homes.
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Why You Need to Journal If You Are Co-Parenting
I like this article because it deals with the practical part of co-parenting. Instead of focusing on the relationship aspect it discusses why you need to use a journal as a co-parent and what you should include in your journal. This could be used for any co-parenting relationship but would be especially useful if you have a contentious one. Hard data is the best data to have if it’s ever needed.
6 Tips For Successful Co-Parenting
Sometimes co-parenting isn’t easy because of the feelings you still have, (positive or negative) towards your ex. It can also be tricky navigating the new boundaries of your relationship with your ex. This article discusses these and other strategies to make co-parenting more successful.
Toddlers Are the Most Ignored Victim of Divorce. 5 Ways to Help Them
This is a wonderful article about how to explain divorce to a toddler. This is super helpful to remember that just because a child may be too young to express themselves well doesn’t mean they don’t know something is going on or need things explained to them.
6 Things Positive Co-Parents Do Differently
This discusses what people in a healthy co-parenting relationship do and why it helps them be successful in their co-parenting.
What to Consider When Creating a Shared Parenting (Co-Parenting) Schedule
This discusses the importance of creating a co-parenting schedule. What will be best for your child? What does each parent want? Communication is key in figuring this out.
7 Ways to Avoid Communication Conflict With Your Ex. Parenting With An Ex
If you don’t have a decent This is a great resource for explaining what parallel parenting is and how to do it (for when co-parenting doesn’t work).
Co-Parenting is hard when you live nearby but what about when you live long distance? This discusses how to co-parent when you are long distance and how to keep your child’s best interests at heart.
Co-parenting is difficult at best and impossible at worst. Even if you have a great co-parenting relationship now, it may not have started off that way or may have bumps in the future. These resources will help you lessen the stress of co-parenting with helpful tips on how to do so positively. And if you can’t positively co-parent, you can use the parallel parenting resource to have as little conflict as possible.
The tips for how to explain what’s going to your children is helpful too. Because even if they can’t express themselves well, they deserve to know what’s going on and have it explained in an appropriate manner.
The co-parenting struggle is real! But throughout this journey, keep your kids in mind and how much their happiness and security means to you!
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7 Surprising Realizations You Have as a Single Mom
