Navigating Co-Parenting With Young Children

Ending a marriage is never easy, but couples in certain situations may encounter additional hurdles when doing so. This often proves to be true for couples with young children who may require more care or could have a harder time coping with the changes in their family dynamic. Fortunately, couples can come up with their own parenting plans to help address these issues in a way that is also in the best interests of their children.

Co-Parenting Infants 

The strategies that two parents utilize when co-parenting young children will partly depend on the exact ages of those children. Co-parenting infant children, for instance, will require that both parents have a thorough understanding of their child’s basic needs and routines. Both parents will need to keep a consistent schedule for feeding, napping, and playing. This is an important time for bonding, so ensuring that a child has regular access to and time with both parents is key to his or her development. Parents in this situation will need to communicate regularly to make sure that they are both providing the same level of care, sticking to an agreed upon schedule, and providing their child with emotional support.

Co-Parenting Toddlers 

The emotional and developmental needs of children evolve over time, so the kinds of caretaking that a toddler requires will be much different than what a newborn or infant needs. Still, children of this age benefit from a stable daily routine that includes a schedule for meals, play time, snacks, naps, and bedtimes. Parents will also need to be on the same page when it comes to things like potty training and disciplinary approaches, so that the child can continue to develop in a stable environment and with as little confusion as possible. Parents who have drastically different expectations or rules for their child, on the other hand, can expect to encounter tantrums and other problems with children of this age.

Co-Parenting School-Age Children 

As children enter school, parents may experience a bit of a reduction in the time that is required to care for them. While nap and snack time needs may be different, however, the social and educational needs of children at this age will become more complicated. Both co-parents should be sure to become familiar with their child’s teachers, stay up-to-date on grades and developmental achievements or delays, and be supportive of social and extracurricular activities. Both parents, for instance, will need to be familiar with their child’s daily schedule, including who will be responsible for picking up and dropping off the child at school, or attending things like recitals and sporting events. The more in sync parents are on these issues, the more likely a child will be to experience a peaceful transition between homes. Consistency in educational support can also be extremely beneficial to a child’s academic progress, ensuring that nothing slips through the cracks.

Here to Help with Your Co-Parenting Legal Needs 

To speak with an experienced Fort Lauderdale child custody attorney about the kind of parenting plan that will best suit your own family’s needs, please call Sandra Bonfiglio, P.A. at 954-945-7591 today.

Sources:

cnbc.com/2023/03/28/how-to-co-parent-a-successful-kid-according-to-a-child-psychologist.html

extension.okstate.edu/fact-sheets/co-parenting-series-developmentally-appropriate-parenting-plans.html