When Georgia parents get divorced, they may remain linked for years as coparents. One of the first steps they can take in this process is to recognize that the focus should be on the children. Even if parents could not get along as partners, they should try to establish a functioning relationship as coparents.
Parents should not badmouth the other parent or the parent’s partner in front of the children. If they need to vent, they should do so in a safe space. When conflicts arise, parents may need to simply walk away from the situation for a time.
Parents may also want to try to establish consistent rules between households. They need to strike a balance between setting boundaries and being unafraid to deviate from these rules when necessary. For example, they can tell children to go to bed or do their chores even when they do not want to. On the other hand, if one child simply refuses to do chores previously agreed upon, parents may want to explore that and what the reasons could be.
Communication as a family is important, and parents should try to do so without becoming too emotional. They should try to proceed with kindness and work on continuing to improve how they relate to children and the other parent without demanding perfection.
Reaching an agreement on child custody and child support with the other parent may also be a challenge, but if parents can negotiate this, it may help them transition more smoothly into a working coparenting relationship. Parents may want to create a parenting plan with the assistance of their attorneys that helps them establish ground rules and boundaries for coparenting. For example, they may decide to do all their communicating with one another through text or email to reduce the likelihood of conflict.