You and your ex might have a lot of animosity toward each other, especially if there was drama surrounding your divorce. You may not feel like speaking to each other, but you’ll have to do just that if you share children.
Direct communication with your child’s other parent is critical if you’re going to make sure that the child’s needs are met. There are a few things you can do that might make this a bit less stressful.
Be businesslike in communication
It might help the situation if you’re able to remove all emotion from your conversations with your ex. Treating discussions like business conversations may be beneficial so that things can be discussed calmly. Taking a step back to think about the matters at hand might also help so you don’t make rash decisions.
Never send messages with the children
Always avoid the temptation to use the children as messengers. Trying to have the children pass messages back and forth between parents leaves significant opportunities for miscommunication. There’s also a chance that the child will have to deal with the backlash of a parent’s reaction if the message isn’t received favorably.
Ensuring that you have a parenting plan in place as quickly as possible after your split is critical. This provides both adults with the terms that will govern the co-parenting relationship. One thing that you should consider putting into the plan is how conflicts will be handled. This can take the worry out of how you’ll address those. Just remember that the parenting plan must be set up so it reflects the child’s needs.
