Parenting is challenging under any circumstances, but if you’re co-parenting with an uncooperative former spouse, conflicts that were molehills during your marriage suddenly become mountains. In an ideal world, divorced parents develop a direct line of communication with each other on childcare issues, but sometimes lingering resentments or a plain old inability to get along can bring cooperation to a screeching halt. Co-parenting is difficult, here are some suggestions on handling co-parenting complications.
What Are The Most Common Co-Parenting Issues in California?
Divorce creates an ambiguous relationship in your family, especially when a child is involved. In California, the judge has the final decision about your child’s custody but will usually approve the arrangements you have agreed on with your partner. While co-parenting provides several benefits, parents in California face issues that need to be handled professionally to maintain a healthy post-divorce family.
Here are some of the most common co-parenting issues in California.
1.Different Parenting Styles
Like in married couples, differences in parenting styles are common among co-parenting parents. The four main types of parenting include:
- Authoritative parenting
- Neglectful parenting
- Authoritarian parenting
- Laid-back parenting
Poor parenting will make you lose custody of your child or visitation rights. Instead of being defensive about your parenting style when your partner raises concern, seek help from a professional counselor to determine if you are on the right track or not.
2.In-Consistent Communication
Poor, inconsistent, unclear, or absent communication is another common co-parenting issue in California. Separation often leads to parents avoiding each other, which ends up hurting their communication badly.
Making joint decisions about your child’s welfare will be a problem without proper communication, resulting in the child’s needs not being met. Other effects of inconsistent communication include lack of cooperation, missed appointments and being left out of your child’s progress.
If your partner is deliberately causing the lack of proper communication, it is better to seek the services of a lawyer.
3.Emotional Instability
Emotional instability manifests in many ways, including lashing out verbally or physically, being unpredictable, or withdrawing from the relationship altogether. This can be incredibly difficult to deal with, especially if you have to co-parent with your ex-partner. If you feel like they might lash out at you or the child, seek restraining orders while your partner gets help coping with the divorce.
Bottom Line
Both parents have a say in deciding what is best for the child’s development and upbringing. There can be disputes about various issues, including how to discipline the child, when to get notified about anything concerning the child, and even what school to send the child to. When these disagreements occur, it may be best to contact an attorney specializing in family law to help you negotiate these problematic issues with your co-parent.
