When Elizabethtown couples divorce, they no longer have to answer to each other, unless they have children. In order to continue raising their children together, they will need to have some sort of agreements in place that govern their new way of life. One thing the parties may want to seriously consider as they create those agreements is consistency, which is often vitally important when it comes to co-parenting.
Even though each parent has a great deal of freedom in how they spend time with the children, certain aspects of life ought to be consistent between homes. For instance, children need to know what behaviors will be allowed and which will not. If one parent allows a certain type of behavior that the other parent does not, the children can get confused and frustrated.
This does not mean that the children must go to bed at the same time no matter which parent they are with. Instead, it centers of behaviors such as lying, acting out and other behavioral problems. To reduce confusion, confrontation and other negative aspects that can arise when parents do not consistently apply consequences for the same behaviors, it would most likely be worth it to create a list of behaviors that will not be tolerated in both homes and the consequences that go with them.
Consistency is incredibly important for children and parents. If everyone understands what will happen in certain circumstances, no one is surprised when it happens — and no one is the “bad guy” when it comes to the kids. This can only enhance the children’s relationships with each parent and help them thrive and grow over time. Divorce is never easy, and many would say the same about co-parenting. Elizabethtown parents do not always have to agree on everything, but it does help if they do have agreement on important matters.