October 14th, 2016

Raising children is hard work.  Raising children with an ex is even harder.  
The family courts are full of exes fighting about parenting decisions regarding their children.  The hard truth most co-parents struggle with is that unless the Court finds serious reasons for a person to not be involved in their child's life, both parents, will have to work together to raise their children regardless of whether or not the two parents can get along. The following are 5 tips to keep in mind when creating a parenting plan that works for you.

1. Focus on the future and not past events.​  Dwelling  too much on the past can cause a lot of unnecessary heartache.   In order for you to be able to make the hard decisions about what is truly in the best interest of your children, you will need to spend time looking toward the future you are trying to create for your family.
2. Encourage your children to have a good relationship with their other parent.  Children thrive when the are in a loving and safe environment.  Encouraging them and supporting their relationship with both their parents helps children 
3. Enjoy the time you have right now with your children.  Children grow-up so fast.  Soon enough they will become adults.  It is important to enjoy the time you have with them right now so you all can have lasting memories of the wonderful time you spent together.
4. Educate yourself on the law regarding parenting plans and what the courts are looking for.  In Arizona , the statute governing parenting plans are under Title 25 Chapter 4.  Take time to read them so you will understand many of the factors judges are looking at when they make decisions regarding Legal Decision Making and Parenting Time.
5. Proactively think through how you and your ex should go about resolving possible future disagreements.  When raising children, disagreement will come-up between parents.  That is inevitable.  However you should think through what would be the best way for you both to work through your disagreements and resolving it in low conflict way if possible.  Mediation sometimes can be a great tool.  Think through what you believe will be the best tool for you and be sure to incorporate it into your parenting plan. 

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By following these tips, you are able to keep you focus where it needs to be; on what is best for your children while you create a parenting plan that works for you and your family.