Co-parenting isn’t easy, but it needs to work for the child

Parents who are going through a child custody case will often find themselves in a heated battle. Each parent wants what he or she feels is best for the child. There are some instances in which that tension spills over into the co-parenting after the custody order is in place. That can be devastating for the child.

When it comes to co-parenting, there are bound to be conflicts about how the child is going to be raised. The important thing to remember is that what happened during the child custody battle doesn’t have any part in what is going on now. One of the parents shouldn’t hold past conflicts over the head of the other one. That only brings tension to the arrangement and can have a negative impact on the child.

If you and the child’s other parent can’t get along, you have to try to keep things as civil as possible. You should try to shift your focus from your own relationship to building and maintaining a meaningful relationship with your child.That can give your child a huge life benefit, even if there are high-conflict issues with your ex.

Ultimately, how you handle the shared custody arrangement is up to you. If you go into it ready for battle, that might be what you find. If you go into it thinking about how important it is for your child to have both parents around instead of being prepared for battle, you might find that the conflict level in the co-parenting arrangement is at a much lower level. Your Maryland family law attorney may be able to recommend counseling and other resources that can help you do that.

Source: Psychology Today, “Co-Parenting and High Conflict,” Edward Kruk Ph.D., accessed Aug. 24, 2016