Whether you want to or not, you may still have to interact with your ex after the divorce. The most clear example of this is if you have children together. If you share custody, then you’re still going to see each other when making exchanges and you’ll have to cooperate on things like summer vacation.
This can feel a bit daunting as your marriage ends. But there are certainly things you can do to make this go smoothly. Below are a few tips that will help.
Put your kids first
More than anything else, just try to put your children first at every turn. If you have to cooperate and make a decision, and you’re not enjoying talking to your ex about it, just think about how the results of that decision will be best for the kids. Try to do what helps them the most, and things will go well. Plus, if both you and your ex have this ooutlook, that’s going to limit the amount of disputes you actually encounter.
Don’t talk about the past
You both know what happened. You don’t have to talk about it or bring it up. If you’re angry or frustrated, don’t lash out by talking about what your ex may have done before. You may be justified in feeling this way, but doing this just creates a lot more stress over issues that have already been addressed in your divorce.
Remember that you may need to compromise
If every single thing that you disagree on turns into a contest to see if you can get your way 100%, it’s going to be very taxing and you’re going to have a lot of disputes. If you’re open to compromising about different things, you may not always get what you would desire the most, but you can get through a lot of conflicts quickly. Once again, if you think about how the compromise is just a way to put your children first, this can make it a bit easier to do it.
There may still be disputes
At the same time, it’s only realistic to assume that you and your ex are going to end up having disputes at certain times. Always make sure that you understand your parental rights and the legal options you may need to employ.