5 New Year’s Resolutions for Co-Parents

Attainable goals for co-parents to start the new year off right.

• 2 min read
• custody
• health & wellness

As one year ends and a new one begins, many parents take time to reflect on the past 12 months to identify room for improvement. For those striving towards a healthier relationship with their co-parent, and a happier relationship with their kids, this is the perfect opportunity to set attainable goals.

Even the smallest co-parenting resolutions are worthwhile

Research shows that people fail at resolutions that are overly broad or complex. If your New Year’s resolution is to be a better co-parent overall, setting small resolutions that fit into that goal can make it easier to achieve. Here are 5 New Year’s resolutions for co-parents:

Resolution 1: Set & respect boundaries. Setting boundaries with your co-parent is important. Determining these boundaries for yourself is the first step, but then you must communicate them to your co-parent. Respecting your co-parents' boundaries is also crucial. Having clear boundaries and sticking to them can do wonders for a co-parenting relationship.

Resolution 2: Avoid badmouthing. Refrain from saying unkind things about your co-parent or your co-parent's loved ones in front of your child. Setting this precedent is not only healthy for your co-parenting relationship, but for your child’s relationship with your co-parent.

Resolution 3: Communicate sufficiently & respectfully. Sharing important information regarding your child is crucial to your co-parenting relationship. TalkingParents offers tools designed specifically with you and your co-parent in mind, making it easy to coordinate schedules and share information all in one place.

Being able to communicate and coordinate your child’s schedule and other custody-related activities respectfully is key. If respectful communication is an issue for you and your co-parent, TalkingParents can help. All our features are secure and accountable, meaning all communications between you and your co-parent stay on the record.

Resolution 4: Practice self-care. Taking care of yourself can lead to improvement in your co-parenting relationship. Coping with stress effectively and teaching your kids to do the same can help reduce conflict in your other relationships and within other parts of your life.

Resolution 5: Put your child’s best interests first. This is a big one, and although it might sound broad and complex, it’s really quite simple. Viewing everything in your co-parenting relationship with your child’s best interests in mind will ultimately lead you to make the right decisions and take healthy actions.

Making these New Year’s resolutions will help make your co-parenting life much easier

Remember, always keeping your focus on the best interests of your child and working together to achieve that common goal can help make your co-parenting relationship much more civil. More importantly, it will lead to a healthier and happier relationship with your kids.