Attorney at Law
As a parent, you are responsible for providing your child with a healthy, happy, and productive life, which means finding effective strategies for co-parenting with your former partner. While this can be difficult, there are certain steps you can take to protect yourself and your child while encouraging them to form a meaningful and healthy bond with their other parent.
Tips for Co-Parenting and Time-Sharing
Co-parenting and time-sharing aren’t always easy following a breakup. However, Florida recognizes the value of allowing both parents to form and foster a healthy and meaningful relationship with a child, making time-sharing fairly standard following a divorce or separation if it is in the child’s best interest.
For the sake of your child, finding effective co-parenting tactics can help make time-sharing less stressful and more productive for everyone involved.
Make a Schedule and Stick to It
Time-sharing can be challenging, so you need to craft and stick to a detailed schedule, especially with a court order in place. Ensure the outline includes specific dates and times for each parent, factoring in special events, holidays, school activities, and other significant events. Many time-sharing arrangements seek to give relatively equal time to each parent. Not following the schedule can lead to legal consequences and land you in court.
Be Flexible
That being said, try to remain flexible when life throws you or your ex-spouse a curve ball. Even the best-laid plans and schedules can fall apart and may require compromise.
Work on Communication
Effective co-parenting requires communication. You may not always be on the best terms with your former partner, but polite and detailed communication between parents is essential. Work on communicating with your former partner for the benefit of your child. If you have concerns about streamlining co-parenting communication, look into the numerous family communication apps available today.
Prioritize Your Child
Realizing that you have no control over what happens when your child is with their other parent can be challenging. Focus on prioritizing your child during your time-sharing visits, putting their needs first, showering them with love, and being the parent they can trust when they need someone to lean on.
Seek Support
No one said co-parenting was easy. Sometimes, you need to vent or talk through your emotions with someone. Seek help from support groups or a mental health professional. It helps to have a neutral third party to listen to your feelings and provide an objective point of view.
Things to Avoid When Co-Parenting and Time-Sharing
You also want to avoid a few things when co-parenting and time-sharing with a former partner.
- Do Not Talk Negatively About the Other Parent – Regardless of your feelings for your child’s other parent or how your relationship ended, never speak negatively in front of your child. It can be difficult, but keep all language respectful and polite. Constant badmouthing and aggressive or negative talk about the other parent can lead to parental alienation and potentially legal repercussions.
- Do Not Sabotage Visits – Never undermine the other parent’s time-sharing schedule or visitation or discourage your child from seeing their other parent.
- Do Not Use Your Child as a Go–Between – Your child should not be a messenger. If you have something to say, communicate directly with your former spouse and never use a child as the go-between.
Being a parent is hard, and everyone has their style and system that works for them. Try not to be overly critical and respect the other parent’s parenting style unless your child is in imminent danger.
A Florida Child Custody Attorney Can Help
Need help creating a co-parenting schedule for your child? Let the family law team at Tupper Law, P.A. help you navigate Florida’s legal child custody and time-sharing laws. Contact our office today to arrange a confidential consultation with our experienced child custody attorneys.