Texas parents like you likely prioritize your child during divorce. This includes finding ways to make the divorce as free of pain and trauma as possible. There are many tips out there to help you achieve this goal, one of them being co-parenting.
Co-parenting is a type of shared parenting post-divorce. It allows you and your co-parent to hold equal importance and prominence in your child’s life. Experts agree that you can find many benefits by working together as parents.
Alleviating the unknowns
Psychology Today talks about ways co-parents can present a unified front. According to experts, this is one of the best ways to help ease your child’s fears about the divorce. Most children have fears that stem from the unknown. Children do not know what will happen after divorce. Many often fear their parents will abandon or forget about them, or that their love will lessen. By presenting a unified front with your co-parent, it shows that not everything will change.
Working with your parent also allows you to stay on the same page regarding information. You can decide together what to tell them and what to avoid. Getting your story straight is an important part of handling divorce. Conflicting information often confuses children and sows seeds of doubt and uncertainty. This can contribute to feelings of anxiety or fear they may harbor.
The stability provided by co-parenting
Co-parenting also provides your child with a sense of security and stability that can help their mental well-being. Studies show that kids of sole custody struggle more with mental health issues like depression and anxiety. They also display more anti-authoritarianism and struggle to get along with peers. Thus, co-parenting can reduce the chance of your child coping in this way. This leads to a healthier life with fewer conflicts.