5 Tips for Setting Successful Co-Parenting Resolutions for the New Year

Dads’ Resource Center offers tips for setting up successful co-parenting in 2023

Millions of families co-parent, but not all are successful at it. This is often because they don’t have the necessary tools to navigate the situation. The more they know about how to co-parent successfully, the better off they and the children will be. With a new calendar upon us, it’s a great time to set some co-parenting resolutions for 2023.

“There is no more important new year’s resolution to make than striving to be a better parent,” said Dads’ Resource Center Executive Director Jeffrey Steiner. “For separated parents, what their children need and want more than anything is for mom and dad to work together in a respectful and productive manner on their behalf.”

Here are 5 tips for setting successful co-parenting resolutions for the New Year:

• Use the new calendar as motivation for a fresh start if one is needed. There’s something liberating about a new year that helps people start new things, create goals, etc.
• Sign down and have a conversation about the coming year. Determine what the two of you would like to achieve, avoid, and improve upon. An open and understanding conversation filled with kindness, rather than blaming, will go a long way.
• Make some co-parenting resolutions together that will lead to positive change and outcomes. Whether it’s to no longer argue in front of the child, stop being late to pick-up times, or something else, determine what will be worked on.
• Resolve to not speak poorly about the other parent to the child. It’s easy to get mad at one another and then complain to the child about it, but that is stress they don’t need. They will feel like the conflicts are their fault, so that should be avoided.
• Discuss how the two of you will handle conflicts from now on. When agreeing upon a constructive way to address them, resolve to stick to that as the new year starts and makes its way through the seasons. It may be necessary to remind each other months down the road of the goals for the year.

“Whatever the reasons that their relationship did not work out, their children will be their shared interest for many years,” said Steiner. “At the same time that they look to move forward in their own lives, they need to work collaboratively on behalf of their children.”

About Dads’ Resource Center

The Dads’ Resource Center is the leading advocate for single fathers. They believe that father absence is a major factor in nearly every social issue our country faces, and that all able and willing dads should be allowed to uphold their sacred responsibility as fathers. The DRC provides education, resources and advocacy for single fathers struggling to be in the lives of their children due to the involvement of the family court, county and human services system. To get more information, visit our website at: https://dadsrc.org.