Author: FWLG
Date: Sep 15 2019
Date: Sep 15 2019
Florida Parenting Plan
Parents do not always agree on what is in the best interest of their children. Parents who are married can find sharing parenting responsibilities challenging. For parents who are no longer together, co-parenting can be even more difficult. Working with your child’s father can be challenging. Florida parenting plans and time-sharing schedules are designed to foster a close relationship between a child and both parents. It can still be frustrating dealing with your ex-husband or ex-partner.
Five Tips for Successfully Co-Parenting with your Ex
Making a parenting plan work is all about raising happy, healthy, and well-adjusted children. Below are five tips that may help moms who deal with their ex because of a parenting plan.
1.Learn to Communicate Effectively
You must be able to communicate with your ex-husband productively if you want to co-parent your child successfully. However, the form of communication is not as important as the substance of the communication. Therefore, you and your ex-husband should agree on the most effective form of communication to use for parenting. For instance, some couples find it difficult to have a conversation without an argument ensuing. For those parents, communicating through email may be the best way to co-parent.
The important thing to remember is that there are many forms of communication, and none of them are perfect or right for everyone. Choose a form that works for your family.
2.Place the Child’s Needs Above the Schedule
Many people believe that time-sharing is a 50-50 split of time between the parents. However, splitting physical custody 50-50 may not be practical for the child or the parents. Work out an arrangement that addresses your child’s needs instead of forcing your child to bounce back and forth between homes on a schedule that is more disruptive than productive.
3.Never Disparage Each Other
Children are more intuitive than many parents give them credit. If you badmouth your ex-husband, even if your child is not around, your child may pick up on your negative attitude toward his or her father. The urge to complain about an ex-husband can almost be overwhelming.
If you need to complain about your ex-husband, consider seeing a therapist, life coach, or counselor. The privacy of a therapist’s office may just be what is needed to expel all the negative feelings you have toward your ex-husband to keep those emotions away from your child.
4.Be Flexible
It can be extremely difficult to plan for every situation that may arise from day-to-day. Schedules can change without much notice. Being flexible and willing to “help out” when your child’s father has a conflict or wants to plan a special event encourages your ex-husband to be flexible when you need help. Also, being flexible allows your child to have more freedom to do the things that are important to your child.
5.Make Transitions as Easy as Possible for Everyone
Depending on your parenting plan and time-sharing agreement, you may want to purchase duplicates of various items your child needs and uses daily. Equipping both homes with the same clothing, personal items, toys, videos, and other items can help your child feel “at home” at either parent’s house. It also decreases the amount of packing required to transition between homes.
Post a written schedule in each home so that a child can track when he or she is staying with each parent. Also, always drop off your child instead of picking your child up. It can be difficult to plan the day to the exact moment a parent will pick up a child. It typically works best for you and your ex-husband to drop off your child to the other parent to avoid disrupting activities or events.
For More Information About Florida Custody Matters Contact the Florida Women’s Law Group
Making parenting plans and time-sharing schedules work successfully heavily depends on having an agreement that is customized to address the specific needs and goals of your family. Our Florida divorce lawyers fight to ensure that the parenting agreement you enter is in the best interest of you and your child.
Florida Women’s Law Group Jacksonville
Please contact our law firm by calling (904) 372-1554 or by using the contact form on our website to schedule an appointment with one of our Florida custody attorneys.
Florida Women’s Law Group
8771 Perimeter Park Blvd, Unit B-2
Jacksonville, FL 32216
(904) 372-1554
