Co-parenting after divorce can no doubt be emotionally challenging for the parents and the children. This is particularly true when the parents struggle to get along. Unfortunately, an acrimonious co-parenting relationship may end up putting a damper on a teen child’s graduation day this spring. Here are a couple of tips for co-parents in Illinois to celebrate their shared child’s graduation in the most positive manner possible.
Maintaining civility
Prior to their child’s graduation day, divorced parents would be wise to email one another or sit down to discuss how they can avoid making their issues with each other part of their child’s graduation celebration. For instance, they may agree to sit away from each other during the graduation ceremony. They may also opt to throw separate graduation parties for the child to minimize their interaction with each other.
The parents should also ideally speak with the child’s grandparents and other family members to set any ground rules for what they should and should not do on graduation day. For instance, the parents may want to admonish the other family members not to badmouth the parent they do not particularly care for. The goal is to encourage all loved ones who will be part of the graduation to act civil toward one another and to act in the best interests of the child.
How an attorney can help
Although co-parenting can present many challenges, an experienced attorney can make the process easier from the start by helping a divorcing Illinois parent create a comprehensive parenting plan agreement with the other party. The parenting plan can potentially allow both parties to remain on the same page regarding how they meet their shared child’s needs on a regular basis. One’s attorney will keep both the children’s and his or her client’s best interests at the forefront during the process of negotiating and drafting such an agreement.
