Your New Jersey marriage has not worked out, and you have decided to seek a divorce. Even though your marriage is ending, your role as parents will continue. Most people want the best for their children, including continuing to raise them in the best way possible. Your children still need two parents. Here’s how you can work with your former spouse so your offspring will thrive.
Develop a parenting plan
Co-parenting is the most popular way to manage child custody after a divorce. One of the first steps a divorcing couple should consider is to develop a co-parenting plan. Successful co-parenting benefits children in various ways, including academic performance, relationships, and emotional health.
Successful co-parenting plans detail the time each parent spends with their children, including holidays, and spell out who is responsible for travel, medical and educational decisions, and other issues as deemed necessary. It will also explain what to do if you can’t resolve your differences. Parenting plans help you rebuild trust with your children following your split. Be open to listening and compromising as you keep in mind what works best for your children. Successful co-parenting also means not disparaging your former spouse or asking your children to spy on them in any circumstances.
Creating a successful co-parenting plan
Every divorce is unique, and so your co-parenting plan will be too. Consider using mediators or other professionals like divorce coaches or family therapists experienced in creating these plans. These professionals can help you determine the essential components of the plan and, more importantly, help ensure that it is workable.
Remaining flexible and realistic as your children age is also crucial. Co-parenting plans sometimes require changes as circumstances change for everyone. Don’t think of such a situation as a failure. Instead, see it as an opportunity to do the right thing for your children. In some families, teenagers may even want to have a say in how things proceed. Making sure that the plan works with everyone’s schedule can go a long way toward harmony.