Co-parenting involves working with your ex-spouse or partner to raise your children together after you have divorced or separated. This can be challenging, but many times Texas parents can successfully develop and maintain a healthy co-parenting relationship.
If you have heard of co-parenting, you have probably heard about the many benefits it offers. A good co-parenting relationship is often best for your children. It helps provide them with consistency, routine and stability in their lives and they learn how to solve problems by watching you and your co-parent interact.
Additionally, making your own custody and parenting time decisions and choosing to co-parent together can sometimes help you avoid custody court. Along with saving you time and money, it reduces the stress on your children and reduces conflict they may experience.
When co-parenting may not work
Despite the many potential advantages of co-parenting, there are some situations where co-parenting may not be right for you.
Co-parenting may not be a good choice if your relationship with your ex was abusive. Trying to co-parent could mean the abusive or unhealthy situation continues. If your ex continues to engage in abusive behavior when you are around each other or trying to communicate, co-parenting might not work.
Even if your situation does not involve abuse, co-parenting can be a bad idea when you and your ex have negative feelings toward each other that you have not addressed or worked through. You must both be able to put your personal feelings toward each other aside and focus on making the best decisions for your children.
What are my other options?
Parallel parenting is a potential alternative to co-parenting. This involves minimal interaction between you and your ex, while you both maintain relationships with your children.
You might feel pressured into trying to make co-parenting work with your ex by a custody mediator or judge or your ex themselves, but only you truly know what is best and realistic in your situation.