More and more women and men are resorting to co-parenting to have a child together. It is about an adult woman and man who decide to get together without having a sentimental bond and without living together to have and raise a child in alternate custody.
You may be wondering, how can you ensure the success of co-parenting? Read these tips and you will discover how!
How to ensure perfect co-parenting?
1. Find a like-minded co-parent
The key to successful parenting starts at the very beginning, from the moment you find someone who wants to co-parent with you. You should look for like-minded people who share the same aspirations and share the same values and goals. You must take the time to find the right person to raise your child. You can use Copaping's huge database to find your perfect match or check out our guide for helpful tips and tricks.
2. Draft a co-parenting agreement
Some parents find that writing a co-parenting agreement is helpful in helping them raise their child. This document should be written before conception or, at the latest, before birth to ensure that each party agrees on the most important decisions and to help avoid future disagreements. Its purpose is to describe the intentions of would-be parents on how to raise their children. Keep in mind that your child's needs always come first. You can ask for the help of a lawyer, a therapist or use a template on the internet.
A co-parenting agreement must include and describe issues such as: The rights and responsibilities of each parent towards the child; Financial arrangements; Joint custody arrangements and how to organize vacations; Care, education or religious orientation of the child; Health, vaccination, etc.
3. Communicate effectively with your co-parent
Not being in a relationship allows you to avoid disputes and fights that usually occur with partners or ex-partners. However, raising a child is not easy and you have to be prepared. You need to make sure that you and your co-parent can work through the problems together and make the best decision for your child. Drafting a co-parenting agreement can be a good test to see if you can resolve differences of opinion and compromise. Later, after the baby is born and throughout infancy, you may want to talk to the co-parent often about education, dating, joint custody, or anything else related to your child's day-to-day life. . If you are friends and have a great relationship with your co-parent, set up a date or vacation where both father and son can meet up and spend quality time together.
4. Agree on the best custody arrangement
To begin with, it is recommended that the baby remain in the place of her main caregiver (usually the mother), and that she be at the father's house to be cared for several times a week, often only during the day. At 2 or 3 years old, the child can gradually spend nights at each other's houses. From 3 to 5 years old, you can let your child spend a whole weekend with mom or dad. You can consider moving homes more frequently only when your child is around 6 years old.
5. The rules should be the same in both homes
Children need regularity and consistency. Although it is normal to have different parenting styles, the rules should be the same whether the child is with the mother or the father. In order for your child to grow up in a structured environment, it is important to follow the same rules in every home.