On behalf of Stange Law Firm, PC posted in Child Custody on Tuesday, November 19, 2019.
In order for divorced parents in Missouri to co-parent effectively, they need to learn to put up with each other. Unfortunately, when one co-parent is a narcissist or is difficult to deal with, the challenges associated with raising the children may become overwhelming. Here are a few co-parenting tips that can help individuals deal with a toxic person after their divorce.
New boundaries will need to be set after a divorce. Time parameters for communication will need to be set, and a person will have to stand by them. It may be advisable to only use email or a parenting portal to limit communication. It may also be helpful to block an ex from social media. A person will have to stand by these boundaries even if their ex challenges their resolve.
Unless it is an emergency, a person is not obligated to respond to a co-parent immediately. This is especially the case if it comes to things that are not related to parenting or that have been said or done in order to push the other co-parent’s buttons. In order to effectively co-parent with a difficult ex, a parent will need to carefully consider all of their responses to their ex. They do not want to simply react in the moment. It may be better to vent with a friend and sleep on a response instead of simply engaging in the moment and reacting emotionally.
All communication should be business-like, pragmatic and factual. It may be a good idea to document all communication, breaches of agreements and missed support payments. Some parents turn to an attorney if a toxic ex-spouse consistently breaches agreements in order to file a court order. An attorney may be able to provide information about child custody, protecting the parent-child relationship, and making changes to current custody agreements and parenting schedules.
