As a parent who is going through a divorce, one of the things you’ll need to do is to come up with a quality parenting plan. Your parenting plan should address all the major issues that could come up with your child as they age.
There is one big mistake that parents make when it comes time to come up with a parenting plan. That mistake is not being willing to negotiate or see the other person’s side. Raising your child will likely still be a two-person job, so you must agree to be able to work together and help your child grow up in a safe, healthy environment.
Failing to negotiate is a mistake
With parenting plans, you’ll find that failing to negotiate can make things much harder. It’s reasonable to have your own opinions about custody or what your child can or cannot do when they’re in your home or at the other parent’s house, but you need to be reasonable. The other parent may have their own method of raising a child that doesn’t match yours, but that’s okay. As long as you agree to have good communication and to set up a basic parenting plan that you’re both satisfied with, then you’ll have the base needed to start building a new co-parenting relationship.
When people don’t negotiate with each other on parenting arrangements, there tend to be hurt feelings and problems with custody disagreements later on. It’s much better to be flexible, within reason, so that you show that you are willing to work together to learn how to care for your child after divorce. Even though your romantic relationship with the other parent is over, you still need to work together and build a co-parenting relationship that is strong enough to help your child through any challenges that arise.
Don’t let disagreements linger for too long
If you find it’s hard to agree, talk to your attorney about the options you have. There are ways to help you work through disputes, so you can build a plan about which you both agree.
