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Moving forward after divorce when you co-parent

Moving on with your life after divorce is a challenging prospect when you still have to remain in contact with your ex because of the children. Even if you were the person who wanted the divorce, you are still going to feel a range of emotions. It is imperative that you address these and plan for your future.

Having unaddressed emotions can have a huge impact on your life. It can also affect your children. When you are going through a divorce, you should consider these tips to help restructure your life to suit your best interests.

Take care of yourself

Self-care is important when you are going through a divorce. If you aren’t taking care of yourself, you can’t take the best care of your children. Work on the emotional rollercoaster you feel and find suitable ways to find your peace. When your kids go to your ex’s house, you might be able to use that time to work on some things on your own. Maybe you can find a hobby to focus on that will enable you to meet new people and get back into the social scene. Just don’t move quickly into a new relationship.

Keep your circle of friends

Your circle of friends is a good support system when you are going through a major life change. You might lose some friends because of the split, but once things settle down, you will know whom you can count on. Try to find divorced friends who can sympathize with what you are going through. Try to schedule time out with them when you don’t have the children. It is even possible to find other parents who have children around the same age who can do things with you and the kids together.

Rebuild damaged family relationships

You might have pushed away some family members when you were married. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you did it on purpose. You might have been so focused on your marriage that you didn’t have the time to nurture certain relationships. Use some of your time now to rebuild these connections so that you can have your full family back in your life in a meaningful manner.

Remain civil with your ex

You and your ex might have a long time as co-parents. From the start of the split, you should do your best to remain civil so that you can build your new parenting relationship on solid footing. The more respect you show each other and the more you work together, the better your children are likely going to fare.

Remember that your parenting plan is an important point in the new way of life. You and your ex will make decisions regarding the children. Be sure to put the important ones in writing so you can refer to them later if questions do come up.