For this blog post I am going to continue to discuss the topic of co-parenting and what one can do to improve ineffective co-parenting skills.
In my last blog I discussed inappropriate co-parenting and the pitfalls associated with it especially as it relates to children of divorce and custody. For this blog post I am going to take this question one step further and talk about how to resolve the issue of ineffective co-parenting so that it does not negatively affect your children, but rather how positive co-parenting may help your children.
All too often, people grow accustomed to and even accept inappropriate styles of communication. What I mean by that is people learn how to communicate with others by what they have seen modeled before them whether it be in their relationship with their parents or in their relationship with a significant other. If the styles of communication they learn is ineffective it can affect their ability to communicate and in turn co-parent as they get older.
While you are probably not able to change the behavior of your parents on your own, you can understand when a change needs to be made in your own co-parenting behavior. Recognizing there is a problem in your own skills of co-parenting is the first step for making positive change. Hopefully, this change can come prior to negatively affecting a marriage or dating relationship.
Too often, however, ineffective co-parenting skills negatively affect one’s marriage or dating relationship to the point that it is too late to save. Unfortunately, this can also negatively affect one’s children in the process.
As I just stated, recognizing you have a problem with your co-parenting skills is the first step for resolving the issue. The next step is to find a professional who can help you improve your co-parenting ability. There are many co-parenting classes available to help those who are involved in a divorce or custody dispute. Many of these classes are court ordered and your particular court should be able to refer you to an appropriate co-parenting class.
Some of these classes are given online while others are taught in person. Understanding what your court allows as well as what style of learning works best for you is something to consider before enrolling in a co-parenting program.
If you have not been court ordered to take a co-parenting class you can still enroll in one and should especially if you see there is a problem or have been told there is a problem in your co-parenting ability. Solving a problem before it affects others is a great thing to do and can save lots of money, time, and emotion.
Finally, once you have completed a co-parenting program it is of the utmost importance to begin displaying the behaviors you were taught in order to minimize co-parenting issues and maximize your ability to positively affect your children.
As always please remember the information provided in this blog is to inform rather than to provide legal advice and should not be taken as legal advice.
To inquire further about your family law matter look for a local family law attorney who can discuss this process as it relates to your specific situation. In San Diego, contact the Law Offices of Brian A. Victor for more information on your specific family law situation www.divorcelawsd.com
