Divorce is a hard time for most children, but some try to take advantage of the situation by playing one parent against the other. By taking steps to prevent this from happening and addressing it swiftly when it does happen, you can help your children to realize that they can’t use one parent to get their way when the other one already gave an answer.
One of the best ways that you can prevent this from happening is to present a united front from the start of the divorce. You can tell the kids together and let them know that you will be working as a team to raise them even though you don’t live in the same home.
Your children might know who is easier to get to let them do things. They will often turn that that parent. While you don’t have to consult the other parent for every decision you make regarding your children, you might want to discuss bigger things with them. For example, curfew guidelines might need discussions, but having pizza for dinner wouldn’t need a talk.
Having an open communication policy with your ex can be beneficial in these cases. You can contact them to find out whether they’ve talked to the kids about certain activities or decisions. Once the kids see that you will do this, they are less likely to try to play you against your ex.
You might need to have information about what decisions require joint input put into the parenting plan. You still need to include the other important points, such as the schedule for parenting time. A comprehensive plan can benefit everyone by taking the guesswork out of the situation.