Happiness is important. Not only does it feel great to be happy, but long-term happiness can actually boost your overall health.
That’s why it’s so important to create a positive co-parenting experience. When your co-parenting is going well, it’s so much easier to find a sense of wellbeing in the rest of your life.
Let’s take a look at some ways to harness the power of positivity, so you can experience a happy and rewarding co-parenting situation.
Stoking the Fire of Happiness
Happiness doesn’t always fall into our laps. To experience happiness, sometimes you need to put some fuel on the fire.
Set Your Intentions
How do you want your co-parenting situation to look? What kind of co-parenting relationship do you aspire to? Have you noticed other single moms who have built a positive co-parenting experience with their ex?
Set aside a little time to write down what you want from your co-parenting situation. Be specific. Simply taking some time to identify what you’d like your co-parenting life to look like will help you to slowly work towards those goals.
Treat Yourself as a VIP
It is so easy to give ourselves a hard time. And yet, berating yourself for your shortcomings will only hold you back. As a single mom, you are the Very Important Person in your own life. That means you should treat yourself with the utmost care.
Eat delicious food that makes you smile, spend time doing things that bring you joy, and most importantly, be kind to yourself.
Give Kindness
Give your ex the benefit of the doubt, and extend kindness in all your interactions. Mention things you really appreciate, acknowledge his strengths, and be friendly when you speak on the phone or in person.
Extending kindness to your child’s other parent will set the stage for a respectful and supportive co-parenting relationship. And that means you’ll be more likely to receive kindness in return.
Envision Your Goals & Take Action
Creating a positive co-parenting situation requires both the ability to envision where you want to go, and then having the courage to act upon those ideas.
The great news? Now is a perfect time to start. Determine where you want to be, set your intentions, and use kindness to get you there.
Summary of Parts I and II: Part one of this series talks about how to maximize your current situation, and part two looks at ways to find positive guidance on your co-parenting journey.
