When you and your spouse divorce, you will have to put together a parenting plan to determine how you will take care of your children moving forward. According to the 2019 Florida Statutes, for the court to approve your parenting plan, you must, at a minimum, detail how you will divide daily child rearing tasks, include when your children will spend time with each parent and designate how you will communicate with your former spouse.
Successful co-parenting situations work optimally when both parents effectively communicate with each other. Here are some strategies for communicating well with your parenting partner after you finalize your divorce.
Stay professional
Treat your co-parenting situation like a business relationship rather than a personal one. Stick to treating your parenting partner clearly and respectfully, always focusing on your children instead of former issues.
Refrain from fighting in front of your kids
Parenting with your former spouse after divorce will likely lead to disagreements and tension at some point. Even though these emotions can become overpowering, do your best to avoid fighting with your co-parent in front of your children.
Make a plan for regular updates
Determine how often you will speak with your former spouse and how you will do so. For example, you may want to schedule a phone appointment once a week with him or her to talk about scheduling, updates and other issues surrounding your children.
Look for compromises
Parents will always have disagreements about raising their children, whether married or divorced. Figure out how to resolve conflicts with your spouse early on and to find solutions you are both happy with.
Remember that communicating with your co-parent effectively will not be perfect at first. If you commit to remaining professional, keep your children out of any conflict and put together a plan for talking to each other regularly, you will improve over time.