Communication with your ex regarding your children can be challenging. Some parents can get along well enough that having to speak to each other isn’t anything too difficult, but not everyone has that option.
If you’re in a parenting arrangement with someone who makes communication difficult, there are a few things that you should remember. These may help you to feel less stress while you’re dealing with them.
Keep conversations short and focused
The children should be the sole focus of the conversations. Sometimes, people will try to drag out conversations so they can get the other party to agree with them out of frustration or a desire to shut the conversation down. If your ex is that type of person, you may have to be assertive in limiting the conversation.
Know when to take a step back
Getting into a battle with an argumentative ex won’t produce any good results. If things start to get heated, it’s usually best to take a step back. This can give you time to cool down and figure out how to approach the situation.
Stick to documented messaging
A battle about who said what can lead to a lot of problems. One way to avoid this is to use a parenting app or other documented messaging system that preserves messages as they’re written. This enables you to go back through and review what was said and by whom, which may be beneficial if there’s a court appearance to resolve matters related to the children.