You and your spouse decided to divorce, but one thing that will never be simple is learning how to raise your child between homes. You both have different values and ideas about what it means to raise a healthy, well-rounded child. You want your child to go to public schools and participate in sports. Your spouse wants them to go to private school and focus on their studies alone.
You both have many ideas about what it means to raise a child well, but you seem to fight about it constantly. You just can’t agree. What can you do?
Focus on improving communication
Since you both have great ideas about how to raise your child, it may be time to sit down and think about how you can improve the way you communicate and negotiate with one another. For example, you should think about finding a middle ground on issues like schooling. Could you find an excellent public school system? Perhaps you could agree to the private school if the parent who wants the private education covers the cost.
Remember, being respectful will go a long way in conversations about raising your child. Even if you don’t agree with what your ex-spouse is saying, both of you are trying to do what you think is best. That means that you should both listen to each other and think about what the other person wants. There are usually ways to come up with a solution, like by allowing your child to play a sport and participate in a club or letting your child choose from a select number of extracurricular activities.
Whether you’re together or divorced, raising a child isn’t always easy. Fortunately, you can do it if you’re willing to talk with one another and negotiate. If the disputes get out of hand, then you may want to consider speaking with your attorney.
