Having to work with your ex might be very low on the list of things that you want to do in the upcoming years. Unfortunately, you will need to do just that if you have children together. This means that you will have to work as a team in some instances.
Just because you have to work with your ex doesn’t mean that you have to always be stressed out or upset. There are some very basic things that you can do to make the situations a little easier. Here are some tips that you might consider in your case.
Plan ahead
Stress often comes from having to make last minute decisions. Avoiding that rush can mean that you don’t have to feel as much stress. One way that you can plan ahead is to make sure that you have a comprehensive child custody agreement. The schedules for the children, including whom the child will spend holidays with and what will happen in the summer should be included. It should also include information about issues that can be contentious, such as medical care and education. The more detail you have in the agreement, the less you will have to argue with your ex about in the future.
Teamwork is critical
Your children might try to play one side against the other. Even though you and your ex aren’t together any longer, this can happen. Discuss important matters with your ex and approach them as a team. When you aren’t fighting against each other, you can focus more on addressing issues that are going on with your children. Doing this means that you have to put your own ego aside and accept that your ex will be right sometimes or that his or her way might be the best solution to an issue. While this can be challenging, you will eventually find that it is a much better situation for your children when they can see that you and your ex are one team.
Focus on the kids
Above all, make sure that you are putting your children first. They need to be at the heart of every decision you make regarding custody matters. Doing this takes you and your ex out of the equation so that you can ensure that you are doing what is best for your children. It also means that you won’t be tempted to make decisions that are based on what will make life more difficult for your ex.