Benefits of Co-Parenting Children

Doing What’s Best For Your Children

It’s very likely that your children will feel significant impacts from your divorce. They may struggle with not seeing both parents as often as they did previously. However, children can still benefit from having a maintained relationship with both parents after a divorce.

While it can be difficult to work together with an ex-spouse in any capacity, especially parenting, putting personal issues aside for the best interests of your children is the greater need. We’ve assembled several benefits that children may experience as a result of co-parenting.

Increased Sense of Security

Children who experience a divorce may often feel as if they are somehow at fault for the breakup of their parents’ relationship. Demonstrating a willingness to parent in spite of where the relationship is can prove to your child that they had no part in the divorce. In addition, your children may have an easier time transitioning to this new stage of life knowing that their parents still love and support them.

Modeled Conflict Resolution Skills

Co-parenting may not be easy; in fact, there may come moments of disagreement and conflict that need to be resolved. Co-parenting gives you the opportunity to be a model of conflict resolution for your children, a skill that can be important later on in life.

Decreased Stress and Anxiety

Many children experience great deals of anxiety and stress both inside and outside of the home when their parents are divorced. They may worry about which parent is interacting with their teachers or other important adults; they may also worry about how their parents speak with each other.

By co-parenting and resolving issues together while presenting a united front, your children may breathe a bit of a sigh of relief and have less worry over how their family is viewed.

Better Relationship with Both Parents

While this benefit may not be shocking, what may surprise you is the amount of research that has been done on children who grow up with one parent rather than two. These studies have shown that children who grow up in a single-parent household have a higher chance of suffering from anxiety and depression or making mistakes with their future.

The presence of a two-parent relationship despite a divorce provides your children with a steady relationship with each parent, allowing them to learn from and communicate with both of you. The quality of the time you spend with your children can increase, leading to more wholesome interactions and true bonding with them.