Your ex-spouse has met the new love of their life. Maybe they're engaged. Perhaps the new significant other is living with your ex. Either way, this person is now going to be part of your children's lives -- and yours. It's natural to have mixed feelings about this....
Child Custody
When should you consider modifying your parenting plan?
If your children were young when you and your spouse divorced, you likely assumed that the parenting plan you put in place would need to be modified at some point as your kids grew up. Children's needs change, as do their parents' circumstances. However, many other...
What if your co-parent or child resists the visitation schedule?
Recently, we discussed the issue of people who withhold visitation from their co-parents because they aren't meeting their child support obligations. As we noted, support and visitation are two different matters. They're decided separately by courts, with children's...
Divorcing parents of toddlers have unique challenges
Parenting toddlers can be exhausting and frustrating, but also extremely rewarding. They seem to be learning new things every day. They're beginning to comprehend more about the world around them and to explore it within the boundaries set by their parents and other...
The importance of a shared journal for co-parents
Many people — particularly men — cringe at the thought of journaling. They think it sounds like something Oprah would tell them to do if they really want to live their best life. However, keeping a journal can help people express and process the myriad...
Vocabulary for healthy co-parenting
Co-parenting can be difficult even for divorced spouses who get along. If you and your co-parent still have a strained or even hostile relationship, it may feel impossible at times. Sometimes, something as simple as the words you use can help improve your relationship...
What you need to know if a custody evaluation has been ordered
You and your soon-to-be-ex have struggled to work out a custody agreement for your kids that will give you both the time with them and involvement in their lives that you want. However, you can't find common ground. There's too much animosity between you. You have no...
The advantages of finding a ‘halfway point’ for custody exchanges
One of the important aspects of co-parenting that divorced parents have to work out is how they will "exchange" their kids when they go from one parent's home to another. If the parents still live near each other, they will often drop off and pick up from their homes...
Why Father’s Day may need to be part of your parenting plan
Mother's Day and Father's Day can be a challenge for newly-divorced parents. Many couples don't bother to include them in their parenting plans along with Christmas, Thanksgiving and other major holidays. However, if there aren't stipulations in place for these days,...
Dealing with the thorny issue of stepparents and discipline
When divorced parents with primary custody of their kids remarry, their new spouses are a big part of their kids' lives. These stepparents often assume many parenting responsibilities -- particularly if the other biological/legal parent lives far away or has little...