The child custody process doesn’t always go smoothly. There will likely be times when you and your ex don’t agree on what needs to happen with the children. You should be prepared to try to make these decisions as easy as possible. The last thing that you or your children need is a long, drawn-out battle that upsets all involved.
It might help you to come up with a parenting plan in advance. This gives you a chance to think about what’s important to both parents and the children and how you might be able to work through some of the stickier issues. Here are some pointers that might help you:
Don’t wait to address issues
You might be tempted to delay dealing with the issues that arise, but waiting puts more stress on you since you will have less time to devise a solution. As soon as you know that there is an issue, speak to your ex. Even if you just alert him or her to the fact that there is something going on while you assess the options to resolve it, it’s a good to give your ex this heads-up. Avoiding issues won’t help since this doesn’t address the problem. In many cases, waiting too long can make the situation much more challenging. Once a problem is resolved, you can move forward with your life and your children can enjoy stability.
Keep the children
As you work through the issues that arise, you have to think about the best interests of your children. You can’t base these decisions on what is going to make life easier for you. It’s a reality that some decisions aren’t easy to make. There might be multiple options that could solve a problem, so be prepared to sort them all out before rushing into a solution prematurely.
Work as a team
Even though your marriage didn’t work out, you are still going to have to parent with your ex. Working as a team can present a united front to your children that helps them to feel more secure. Discussing the pros and cons of each option might be the best course of action. You may have to swallow your pride and admit that your ex’s solution is the best one sometimes. As long as your children are getting what they need, you should be willing to compromise for their sake.
