Raising children with your ex can be difficult and may often lead to arguments between parents. Being a divorced parent has many unique challenges and many parents find themselves not being able to get along with their ex despite their best efforts.

It is not surprising that divorced parents have trouble raising their children together since most divorces do not end on a happy note. Parents may have a difficult time agreeing on how to teach their children about morals and faith, especially if parents practice different faiths. Parents may also have trouble figuring out how to handle their child custody and visitation schedules as their chidlren start school and other activites.

Child custody issues and deciding how to co-parent can be complicated for many divorced parents. However, there are some ways parents can make the best of the situation and make co-parenting with their ex easier for everyone.

The first thing parents should consider is the best interests of their children. It is important to always keep this in mind when making decisions on how to raise the children and what will help them succeed in the future.

Parents should also be sure to respect each other’s opinions, regardless of how different they may be. This is really important when it comes to teaching children about faith and morals so it is important to set a good example by not talking bad about the other parent in front of the kids.

Another important tip is to try and be flexible with cusotdy and visiation schedules. Both parents will likely have something come up at some point that will require a change in visiting or sharing custody of the kids. Being flexible with each other’s schedules will allow both parents to spend as much quality time with their kids as possible, which is beneficial for everyone.

Parents should keep these tips in mind when trying to co-parent with their ex and remember to always think about how their decisions will impact their relationship with their children.

Source: Huffington Post, “Co-Parenting: 5 Steps to Avoiding Conflict Escalation,” Diane L. Danois, Aug. 20, 2013