Becoming Flexible Co-Parents

Co-parenting is a terrific buzz word, but truly co-parenting takes a lot of work and practice. One of the key elements of co-parenting is learning to be flexible about the parenting schedule. It’s important that your child have the amount of time that is scheduled with each parent, but being able to adjust that schedule to deal with unexpected changes and opportunities is very important.

If you and your ex are not yet at the point where you have been able to negotiate any changes to the schedule for special requests, think about the way in which you are presenting your requests. The best way to reach a consensus is to emphasize what’s best for your child. If you have tickets to a hockey game or musical your child would love to see on a day that is not scheduled to be yours, present it as an opportunity for your child, not as something you personally want. “Mia would love to see Wicked and I have tickets Saturday. What can we do to make sure she doesn’t miss out on this?”  Emphasize what your child wants or needs instead of what you want to do.

Asking your ex to be flexible with the schedule means that you need to be flexible in return. Try to think of parenting time by the month. Instead of being hyper focused on making sure you have the right number of days each week, look at the month as a whole. This allows everyone some flexibility while maintaining the right balance for your child. Your child could go to her cousin’s birthday party with your ex on your day one week while heading to an amusement park with you on a day scheduled to be your ex’s another week.

When you have questions about your custody case or parenting time, the Sampair Group is ready to provide the advice you need in Maricopa County, Arizona. Call us today to schedule an appointment.