It is not uncommon to have expectations in life. You may expect people to treat you with respect or your children to behave and to do their chores. You might also expect your ex-spouse to either leave you alone completely or do things a certain way. Remember though, if your list of expectations is set too high, you might end up disappointed and angry. Managing your expectations is an important part of keeping your parenting partnership, yourself and your children free from unnecessary conflict.
Following these tips can help improve your ability to manage expectations and create a realistic co-parenting partnership with your ex-spouse:
- Make No Assumptions
- Make Sure Expectations are Realistic and Reasonable
- Communicate
- Accept Differences
- Negotiate and Compromise
- See Things from Your Co-Parent’s Perspective
- Abide by the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do to you.”
- Give Changes a Chance to Work
Managing your co-parenting expectations can help you to build a healthy and collaborative parenting partnership. It may also allow you and your children to live a better life, free of drama and anger. Your co-parenting relationship may not always go as planned, but when you manage your expectations, you can begin to build a foundation for your children to get the most out of their parents. To read more about managing you expectations of your co-parent, click here.
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