Divorce, Co-Parenting, and Remarriage
When children are involved in a divorce it adds a whole new layer of complexity to the process. Post-divorce many ex-couples are busy trying to work out a co-parenting relationship for the kids’ sake. When one or both parents get remarried, however, the temptation to continue co-parenting at the expense of fostering the new relationships can often cause problems in the remarriage. Deesha at Coparenting 101 discusses this dilemma and shares a few ways to do it right:
In other words: Don’t sacrifice your marriage on the altar of your co-parenting efforts. And to that I say, “Amen and amen.”
Thankfully, neither “JB” (my fiancé) nor I have had any problems striking a balance between co-parenting with our former spouses and tending to our own relationship. But we realize that more is required of us than this. And, having both our first marriages end in divorce, we’ve been very purposeful about laying the groundwork for and nurturing a healthy, enduring relationship. This is what we want to model for four little not-so-little girls who mean everything to us. To this end, we’re following the “marriage is what you make of it” model, instead of the magical, fairytale “love is all we need model.”
Deesha makes an important connection that many former couples miss: when it comes to remarriage, it’s best for the new couple AND for the children if the new couple(s) have a great relationship. Even if this means the co-parenting of the former couple needs to take a back seat. Check out her blog for a lot of other great posts about co-parenting.
If you’re in need of a Knoxville divorce attorney or child custody lawyer in Knoxville, please call us for a free consultation to discuss your case.
