With the increase in divorce rates across the globe, the need for professional guidance on effective co-parenting is on the rise.
According to Jay Holstine, if partners are well-guided and proactive regarding their co-parenting approach, they can save their children from a lot of anxiety, depression, abandonment issues, and any other subsequent consequence of the divorce.
While partners who file for a divorce are usually less keen on interacting with one another, simple tips can make their overall relationship and interactions more cordial and beneficial for the children. To learn about these excellent co-parenting tips, keep reading below.
Top Four Tips for Excellent Co-Parenting by Jay Holstine
Regardless of why two people decide to separate or file for a divorce, their priority should be the emotional state and well-being of their children.
If the divorced parents continue to quarrel and burn all bridges, the children will feel abandoned and neglected and might react in unusual ways. Hence, if reconciliation is not an option, it is vital that one pays attention to Jay Holstine’s following co-parenting tips:
Family Therapy Sessions or Couples Counseling
When two people choose to part ways due to their differences, it is often more challenging to sit together and plan the co-parenting rules. Without a third-party mediator, the parents usually reach no conclusion and might sour the relationship even more.
Instead, it is more beneficial if the parents invest in family therapy sessions that address their issues or concerns and equally involve the children in discussing their emotional requirements.
Moreover, although the separated parents are no longer a couple, special therapy sessions such as couples counseling can improve the quality of their relationship just enough to make communication and coordination easier for effective co-parenting.
Plan Different Kinds of Family Activities
Despite the change in their relationship status, separated or divorced parents need to continue planning different family activities in order to keep the family bonding alive.
For instance, by planning a family sports day, family vacation, or a therapeutic or relaxing family retreat, both parents will get a chance to improve their communication skills, develop a mutually respectful relationship, and spend some quality time with their children as a strong and healthy family unit.
According to Jay Holstine, doing so can greatly help children understand and accept their new family dynamics without feeling anxious or depressed.
Open Communication
No matter what kind of relationship two divorced parents might share, if they are concerned about their child’s emotional well-being, they need to keep the communication open and clear.
For instance, if the father is unable to find the time to show up to their son’s football game despite having promised earlier, he needs to communicate the situation to the mother so she can find a way to offer the child her support in any way possible.
If the father fails or refuses to communicate with the mother, the child will suffer mentally, might lose their game, and will have a harder time dealing with the drastic changes in his life.
Shared Responsibilities
Finally, in order to prevent the relationship from souring any further, both parents must share their child’s responsibility.
This means that both parents need to share the child’s financial burden, offer them their emotional support, and be there for them for all other needs.
According to Jay Holstine , the best way to do this is to plan and schedule the different responsibilities while keeping the children in the loop so both the children and the parents know what to expect.
Jay Holstine’s Final Words
Although divorcing a partner is usually more complicated when children are involved, this is not always the case. Instead, if the parents prioritize their child’s well-being, discuss the situation at a family therapy session, and share the responsibilities equally, the children do not feel abandoned or anxious.