Raising children is a responsibility you and your partner should take seriously, regardless of their ages and marital status. Sometimes, your marriage may not work, leading to a divorce. In some cases, the children suffer, especially when getting support from both parents. If your ex-spouse falls under that category, you should understand some of the best ways to ensure they handle their responsibility for your children. This article will be resourceful if co-parenting has been bothering you.
Embrace Effective Communication
Lack of proper passing of information can be the leading cause why your co-parent does not support your kids. Motherhood may seem challenging, considering that you live apart now. Nonetheless, having the right attitude and mindset is the foundation. Nonetheless, one thing that should never leave your mind is that your child or children are the focal points of even the thought of contacting your ex-spouse. Poor communication can lead to neglect, which can be gruesome for young people. From 2010 to 2015, many Kentucky children were removed from their homes, and the main reason was neglect. The numbers pulled out of their homes during that period accounted for about 68% of all removals.
The good news is that there are several ways to enhance communication with your ex-partner. First, learn how to request and ask for their opinion instead of making demanding statements. Two, ensure you are a good listener and keep all your conversations child-focused. Moreover, embrace consistent meetings and discussions, but show restraint, especially if your ex tries to push some buttons.
Consult An Expert In Family Matters
Fortunately for you, there is an extensive variety of such professionals, considering that even the number of marriage breakups has skyrocketed over the last few decades. Additionally, married couples have been having issues for a long time. Therefore, it would be recommendable to bring in a counselor, a therapist, or any other licensed professional to help you and your ex-partner understand your roles in raising the kids. During such sessions, you might find out that your husband or wife does not support you because they feel you have everything covered. Such a professional can even help develop a plan for the roles each of you will take. For instance, your ex may be given the health sector while you take care of education. With such an agreement, the chances of anything going wrong are pretty low. Health is among the most critical basic needs that your children should never lack. That is why you will realize that recommendations from the ADA say that kids should be taken to a dentist before they even turn one year.
Make It Easy For Visitations And Transitions
Children face a challenging time when it comes to transitioning and moving from one house to the other during the weekends or any other time you have set for them. This is where you come in to make things simpler and more comfortable for all of you. Your co-parent may fail to pull their weight because maybe they feel you don’t allow them enough time with the kids. That is another reason you should have constant communication to understand what may be bothering them. Nonetheless, ensure that the kids are treated well when at your ex-spouse’s place. This is especially when it comes to dieting. Reports from the U.S government show that about 2 million teenagers suffer from a pre-diabetic condition resulting from obesity and inactivity. That puts such children at a high risk of developing full-blown diabetes and cardiovascular disorders. Besides proper feeding, ensure the kids are not physically or emotionally mistreated, especially if your ex has another family.
Co-parenting is not a walk in the park, considering that you do it with someone you broke up with. Sometimes, financial constraints may be why your co-parents may not be pulling their weight. Nonetheless, if you confirm that they are financially stable and still don’t do it, you may now consider taking legal action against them.