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Positive co-parenting in shared child custody is important

On Behalf of | Apr 20, 2012 | Child Custody

Pennsylvania parents may agree that parenting can be hard enough when parents are married and living together. This takes on a whole new level of difficulty when parents divorce and find themselves saddled with stressed, negative emotions toward their ex-spouse while also adjusting to a whole new lifestyle. Even with the fairest child custody agreement, these feelings can still exist between ex-spouses, and can often hold negative consequences for the children involved.

With the stresses of a divorce still hanging between a newly separated couple, it can be difficult to put those feelings aside to work together. However, a positive child custody agreement, coupled with positive parenting ideals, can work together to uphold the best interests of a child.

In order to attempt to do this, parents may mutually benefit by agreeing upon parenting methods that will remain consistent and similar between households, regularly communicate with their ex-spouse in a positive way to discuss their children’s and their needs, and act in a manner that reflects positively on themselves as well as on their ex-spouse. When a parent works to maintain positive opinions about the other parent among their children, relationships are able to function much more smoothly post-divorce.

Co-parenting through divorce is a significant change for Pennsylvania parents, and can often be a struggle to maintain. However, in the same manner of a child custody agreement, co-parenting should always seek to promote the best interests of the children involved. This positivity and cooperation often all begins with a fair and peacefully settled custody agreement.

Source: Psychology Today, “The Do’s and Don’ts of Co-Parenting Well,” Deborah Serani, March 28, 2012

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