When a Minnesota parent of young children has just ended a marriage with a toxic partner, having to continue to deal with the ex can be difficult. However, there are certain things that parents who have to deal with a toxic co-parent can do to make the situation less stressful.
First and foremost, parents should always keep their child’s best interests in mind. If they do so, they may find that it is easier to deal with their ex. Further, parents should limit communication with the toxic co-parent to just being about the child’s needs. This means avoiding bringing up unresolved issues from the divorce. This also means not talking about personal lives with the toxic co-parent.
When actually communicating with the toxic co-parent, parents should learn what might produce negative reactions. By avoiding the triggers, parents can help prevent setting them off. This gives them more control over how the ex will react. Parents should never speak badly about the ex to the child. It can put the child in a stressful situation. It also potentially prevents the child from being honest about how he or she feels about the other parent.
In some cases, it may not be in the child’s best interest to be in a co-parenting situation. In this case, the other parent may wish to sole physical custody of the child. An attorney may assist with providing evidence that shows that the child is at risk when in the other parent’s care or that the other parent is not capable of providing appropriate care for the child. For example, this may be due to a history of domestic violence or substance addiction.