I Am Not the Problem in a Co-parenting Relationship, We Are.

Guest blogger, John McElhenney, and his daughter

Look into the eyes of your children.
Embrace that feeling and let your ex
and their anger be dissolved in that love.

There are bumps along the road to single-parenting and our hopeful arrival at co-parenting cooperation. And what ripped our marriage apart is probably still the dysfunction that we deal with as separate parents, doing our best. Remember this:

The other parent is doing the very best they can.

It’s hard to swallow sometimes. When the discussions get difficult, it’s easier to blame the other person for the issue. But if it’s an issue it’s a joint issue.

The hard fact is this: We are no longer married, but we are in a relationship forever. The things we used to fight over as a couple are still issues between us. And just because the loving relationship is gone, the love and anger at loss-of-love is not gone. So, this morning when I got another “you done me wrong” email from the mother of my children I chose a different path. I chose to remain positive and ignore the angry words. I was not going to rise to the fight.

I offered information. I answered the questions that I could. I suggested an in-person chat, which she has rejected over the last six months of “parental” negotiations, and then I stopped. I stopped short of contradicting her accusations. I stopped myself from responding in-kind with my grievances. And I tried to imagine the woman that I fell in love with, as a friend, struggling with some parenting and financial issues.

You can love your kids by always choosing to do the positive thing.

We are triggered by our ex-mates. We could not have married them and had children with them if the connection was not elemental and deep. That connection is still there. A few of the rules have changed, but if we can return to the memory of that love that existed, and see how it is transformed into the love of our children, and “for” our children, we can do a better job at responding with compassion and empathy.

Kurt Vonnegut’s book Slapstick had a memorable line that framed a good portion of my young adult life, after I acquired it. It is my mantra when dealing with family matters.

“A little less love, and a little more common decency please.”

I am sad sometimes that I no longer have a partner and cheerleader in navigating these difficult times. But that role/relationship ended several years before the marriage did. And now I have two fabulous kids and their mom.

I don’t have to take on her issues, I don’t have to make her priorities my priorities, and occasionally I have to get mad and stand up for the NO that needs to be said. But I don’t ever have to say it in anger or personal frustration. That shit is mine. And I will do well to deal with it here. Outside of the relationship with my ex-wife.

Finally, in my self-recovery process, I learned about how important it was to get the anger out. To write the anger letter. (This is a great gestalt for most relationship problems.) WRITE IT, BUT DON’T SEND IT.

Own your anger. Process it with someone else. You’re ex-lover, ex-partner, and the other half of your co-parenting relationship does not deserve it, and will not be served by your venting. Do vent. Find a healthy release for YOUR stuff. And then return to the love of your kids, and the memory of the love you once had for their other parent.

It is no longer about us. Look into the eyes of your children. Embrace that feeling and let your ex and their anger be dissolved in that love. You may not love your ex anymore, but you can love your kids by always choosing to do the positive thing.

John McElhenney is a single dad who lives and writes in Austin, Texas. He has published several books of poetry and a whimsical look at social media, The Twitter Way. He makes his living writing social media strategies for small businesses, and makes his heart smile playing tennis and music.

Visit: https://wholeparentbook.com/positive-divorce/

Gabrielle Hartley, author of "Better Apart: The Radically Positive Way to Separate", shares opportunities to help people move through and beyond their divorce with power, grace and dignity.

I wrote Better Apart: The Radically Positive Way to Separate (HarperCollins) with the hope of meaningfully and positively impacting the lives of people going through divorce at any point of the process. 

 I am so excited to be sharing with you what I’ve been working on for the past few months.  After writing the book, I felt compelled to do more. I wanted to offer something to go alongside the book, something that would take people deeper, provide an additional level of support and to help people navigating separation on a larger scale. And so, the Better Apart Master Class was born!

After growing up with divorced parents, the last thing I ever thought I would become is a divorce lawyer.  I was so sick and tired of the subject that if you would have told me that one day I would become a top divorce lawyer, mediator, and highly sought after divorce coach I’d have fallen off my chair. But, after a divorce court clerkship in New York City, I learned very quickly that I had a very strong calling and ability to help people move through and beyond their divorce with power, grace and dignity. 

 Looking back on how my parent’s did things well, and how their divorce served them as they moved forward, here’s what I realized, regardless of how messy your life is at any moment, with some simple, accessible practices, your divorce can be transformative.  It can actually be the launchpad for you to access and develop greater internal presence for yourself and your family.  

The Better Apart MasterClass is a six-week, self-paced online course to help you uplevel your mindset and thrive, through and beyond your divorce.  This course is designed to be a companion for you to have by your side, beyond your lawyer’s office or your therapist’s couch.

 With videos, emails and journaling prompts and exercises, as well as the option to add on a live group call, the Better Apart MasterClass is everything you need to guide you into the next chapter of your life. 

 In the course, we dive into the 5 elements of the Better Apart Framework - Patience,Respect , Peace, Clarity, and Forgiveness. In just six weeks, you will feel lighter, calmer more peaceful and clear on the life you want to live moving forward.

 If you’re going through separation, or have separated from a partner and don’t quite feel back to yourself, I would love for you to join us. 

 The Better Apart MasterClass will help you to…

• Learn mindfulness techniques so that you can show up as the best version of yourself for you and your family

• Learn to navigate your relationship with your ex (no matter how much they drive you crazy) so that you can create a peaceful, happy and healthy environment for you and your kids

• Re-write your divorce story so you can go from feeling fearful and anxious to empowered and in control of your life

• Powerfully engage with your inner voice and begin to be more present for yourself and for your family.

• Move through guilt, shame and anger so you can release negativity and live the happy and prosperous life you’ve always dreamed of (yes, it truly is possible!)

It’s time we SMASH the stigma and start feeling better about ourselves, and our lives. Our internal stories shape our lives and inform our children about who they are in the world.  When we feel good, we are more present for ourselves, and for our families.  

 You might just be focused on surviving right now. You might just be trying to keep your head above water.

 Or maybe you’re a parent just focused on helping everyone around you get through this transition time.

 But you know what?

 It’s time you helped yourself. You deserve this support. You deserve to have a thriving, happy life, through and beyond your divorce.

 Questions on whether the Better Apart MasterClass is right for you? Head over to gabriellehartley.com and drop me a line.

 I am so excited to help you and your family on your road to feeling better.  One day at a time, one moment at a time.

 With support and strength,

Gabrielle Hartley

Co-Parenting Wins Today with Jewrine Brown, Founder of the I Win Today Challenge.

Developing an app that would help co-parents communicate respectfully, with clarity, and calmly, without the typical “snark” was no easy feat.  Meeting someone who fell in love with the FAYR app as much as the Founders loved developing it, seemed to be a little too much to ask.

 But it happened. 

 Meet Jewrine Brown, Founder of the I Win Today Challenge.

 What were factors that made you realize you needed a better way of communicating with your co-parent?

 JEWRINE: When you have a relationship that is no longer reconcilable emotionally with another person, your demeanor, or your approach can come off as a tone, or problematic to them. The FAYR app allowed me to have a tone neutral. It allowed me to have a format, that allowed him (my son’s father) to be made aware of everything. 

 I noticed the decline in our son’s confidence and enthusiasm level when he observed his parents interact. Especially when we were required to attend school meetings or speak over the telephone. I wanted to feel more secure when addressing his father in all modes of communication. I noticed our son was uneasy, anxious, and seemed uncertain how to react when he left my home to visit with his father based on our previous difficulties without communicating noticed the need to ensure our son felt comfortable visiting with his father as a consistent practice. I also determined our son required the emotional security that his father would remain engaged and I would provide a supportive role. As a mother, I began to seek a higher level of inner healing in my own life. I was determined to develop a concise message that required a greater level of emotional clarity to focus on our son’s best interest.  

 How did you locate the FAYR app, and what has it done to improve your communication skills and overall co-parenting situation?

 JEWRINE: I located FAYR while searching online. I was captivated by your simple design. I assumed the cost would be affordable as a result of the simple design – I was right.  I love all the features of the FAYR app. If I had to pick one specific feature, it would be the ability to text my son’s father in one central location. I enjoy the feature very much, it’s easy to use. The app kind of gave us a feeling that we were doing this for our sons best interest, not something that was causing aggravation, it was made for us.

 I have noticed an increase in my son’s father’s moral level towards me as an individual-specifically his ability to communicate freely towards me. I have directly benefited from the use of the FAYR app because it reduced unwanted stress, clarified expectations and increased morale within our blended family. I have been a single parent for several years. I wish this app existed during the darkest places in my life. I realize one of the most difficult aspects of life is parenting. I was unable, on several occasions, to demonstrate the emotional clarity required to address my own needs in the midst of the greatest letdown in my personal life, my marriage. I plan to encourage others to utilize this app to save heartache, eliminate shame, and reduce depression. I am thrilled that the app has allowed my son’s father to become the type of man that he has been trying to become. FAYR gave us a feeling that we are doing this for our son's best interest.

We are so excited to hear about your I WIN TODAY Challenge. Are you able to tell us more about what it is?

 JEWRINE: I Win Today was developed solely with the mindset of what I can do to help others, and was created because of FAYR. Coming from a broken home, no father and overcoming poverty by completing my educational goals.  I still found enough resilience inside myself to put my kids first, and communicate with clarity, respect, and dignity. I hope this challenge will help encourage somebody else.

 I Win Today is being pushed out in my community as a social awareness message, because I was so impressed with the seamless effort the FAYR app made in my personal and professional life, I would like others to benefit. As a parent, I was unable to find a way to manage the emotional baggage that manifested from the break-up. It was damaging to me as a Professional Counselor, which required attending counseling as a family to ensure we were healed and remained emotionally healthy moving forward. 

 I was successful, but required a higher level of inner healing in order to realize my emotional well-being was needed to lead our son with clarity and focus. I am hoping the I Win Today Challenge will encourage others to utilize the app in order to reduce stress, increase positive communication techniques, and reduce depression. I hope the challenge will inspire others to remain emotionally resilient, focused and prepared for court or other meetings that require documentation to secure a positive outcome in their circumstance. 

 No matter what you are going through, you will see a win. It’s going to take the focus off the pain, and away from the children, and put the mindset on the parents to be the bigger person.

For more on Jewrine Brown’s I Win Today Challenge go to; www.thedown2earthcounselor.com

Jewrine Brown is the proud parent of two boys. She resides in Fayetteville, North Carolina, where she considers herself as  “Your Down to Earth Counselor” and the Creator of the “I Win Today Challenge.” Jewrine is a humble advocate, who is understanding and compassionate towards others as a result of rising above her own hardships and socioeconomic struggles. She has been a dedicated professional in the mental health industry for over 13 years, and has extensive experience with a variety of client demographics. I personally understand the value in learning how to love yourself and others in life. Everyone has been let down in life. It's the best time to build your faith. Once you are able to comprehend the vast amounts of knowledge life has invested in you, the need to reach your goals will become a mission.  It's okay, your plans don't always work out as planned because failures are lessons to increase your capacity to pour back into other's in life. What are you willing to sacrifice to learn correct?

 IDOCAREEVENTS@gmail.com | YOUR DOWN TO EARTH COUNSELOR | 910-574-3487

 You Tube Link:  https://youtu.be/YIw8sHNAT7c

I Created Fayr for You (and Me)

Early in our divorce, my ex-wife and I were trying to set up a 50/50 schedule for the kids as we worked out a long-term custody arrangement.  

To say that we were both in a really emotional place would be a tremendous understatement. I knew that it would be far better for our kids to be raised in two stable, loving homes rather than in a single conflict filled one. And yet get used to this new way of living was hard on everyone, much harder than I'd anticipated. 

It's plenty hard to negotiate and navigate parenting duties when you are in a relationship with someone; it was brutal to end a romantic relationship and then instantly need to deal with logistics, communication, and compromise. 

It was in the middle of this tumultuous transitional period that our signals got crossed.

On one of our custody change days, our signals got very crossed. I showed up during what I thought was the designated window to drop off the kids and their mom wasn't there. She, of course, was expecting them at a totally different time.  

This was more than an inconvenience or cause for a fight. When you're still legally sorting out custody, errors like this can have long-term repercussions regarding the time you get to spend with your kids in the future. Luckily, I had a very savvy attorney who was able to match my toll receipts and email conversations to prove that I had attempted to drop the kids on time. (That, of course, cost me thousands of dollars in lawyers fees and bottomless anxiety for weeks.)

In the middle of this chaos, I just kept wondering, "Why can't this be easier?"

Emotionally, divorce or separation takes a long time to process. I still work all of the time, 7 years later, to make certain that my kids feel loved, stable, and secure. But there are so many opportunities for the smaller things to be made easier: scheduling, communication, finances. 

That situation I just shared with you was one of a dozen mishaps that might have been totally prevented by an app like Fayr. So I built Fayr for you, so that you might not have to go through those extra moments of conflict or strife. I also happen to use it Fayr's messaging and geo-tagging capabilities daily: win-win-win!

Be the Best Co-Parent You Can Be (Even if Your Ex Doesn't Deserve It)

Co-parenting is not for the weak of heart.

After choosing to end a romantic relationship, it can be painful to spend years continually navigating the tender and fraught landscape of parenting with your ex. As our Advisor, Gwyneth Paltrow says of co-parenting, "You have to constantly let go. You have to let go of old ideas, old resentments."

After separation the goal is to create the best, most stable, most loving life for your kids. One of the crucial ways you can do this is by creating a solid foundation with your co-parent. Gwyneth's trick? "If you once loved the person enough to have kids with them, you have to focus on what you still love about them and what's beautiful about them and all the good aspects of your relationship."  

If you're currently finding it hard to locate those things you love about your ex fear not. We have three simple steps below, as sort of "fake it 'til you make it" guide to being the best co-parent you can be (even if your ex doesn't deserve it). Because it's not for your ex. It's for your kids.

1. Give them the benefit of the doubt.

Or as Leo Babuata of ZenHabits says, "take the good-hearted view." This is when we assume that people who have done something to bother us are not incompetent jerks, but are in fact good people with decent intentions who made a mistake or are having trouble of some kind. One of the most positive things we can do in a relationship with a co-parent is to take a good-hearted view of them. From this place it can be easier to assume that errors made, pickups forgotten. permission slips left unsigned are not a signal of maliciousness, but rather the normal experience of a good person trying to do their best and occasionally making mistakes. Giving someone the benefit of the doubt diffuses the situation, leaving you more content and modeling for your kids an accepting and generous relationship.

2. Speak well of your co-parent.

Kids are very astute about verbal and non-verbal communication cues. Children as young as two or three can tell when parents are in conflict. It's not just speaking poorly of a co-parent that kids pick up on. Some co-parents attempt to solve this with the age old adage "if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all." Yet from this silence, kids learn that speaking of their other parent is taboo and partition off their lives with each co-parent. This leads to parts of your children's lives that they don't share with you and positively reinforces them withholding information, which can be harmful as kids get older.

If instead you say kind things about your co-parent, even tiny, off-handed remarks, kids will realize that your home is safe for them to discuss their full lives. Something simple like, "Oh, your dad loves this show!" or "Your mom has always had such a great sense of humor" serves to validate the kids themselves, who see parts of their own personalities and selves inside of each parent. It will give them a sense of peace that even thought their parents are not together, they do in fact still respect one another.

3. Take on more than your share when you can.

Over the course of our children's lives, there will be times when one parent has more bandwidth to dedicate to parenting. This will naturally ebb and flow with each parent's career, health and personal life. When you're in a couple, this is often decided or mapped out intentionally: the staggering of professional and personal obligations so that there is always one parent available to the kids.

This is a far more complicated balance to strike as a co-parent; you're no longer in a romantic relationship nor are you strategizing for parenting under one roof, so there's no promise of a tradeoff when each parent has independent responsibilities. And yet, if you find yourself in the place, for whatever reason, that you have more time and energy to dedicate to your kids: do. Even though your co-parent may not be able to (or not be interested in) paying it forward, your kids will benefit immensely even from brief periods of undivided attention from you.

Summer Break After Divorce: 7 Ways to Help Your Kids Have the Best Summer Yet

Those long, warm days of summer are just around the corner.

Summer is thought of as a magical time for kids.  It's a chance for them to shake up their routines, get outside, get dirty, learn something new and, most importantly, to have fun.  

However, for kids of separated parents -- especially those who are already struggling with the transition to two homes, a new school, a new stepparent or stepsibling -- the switch to summer mode can feel like yet another form instability in their lives.

The good news?  There are several steps that you can take on as co-parents to help your kids transition smoothly and joyfully into summer.  After all, just because you are co-parenting does not mean you child can't have an exciting, carefree summer of their own!

7 Things to do right now to get your family ready for summer break.

1. Wrap up the school year well.

The final days and weeks of school are often filled with special events and varying schedules depending on your children's ages.  Make sure you and your co-parent are on the same page about important events (graduations, honors nights, assemblies), schedule changes (half days, finals) and tasks which need to be completed (help clear out your child's cubby or locker, thank you notes for teachers) before summer begins.  A smooth end of the school year sets the stage for gentle passage into summer.

2. Confirm the details of your summer child care plans.  

With the kids out of school, as co-parents you are now jointly responsible for an additional 40+ hours of child care each week.  Make certain you're in agreement about who will be care-taking during this extra time-- e.g.: a parent, nanny, daycare, camp, or combination of several -- as well as the cost and new schedule/routine required.  This is the largest of all transitions to summer.  Having both parents on the same page will help your child feel settled even amongst the change.

3. Map out summer activities.  

Will your kids be participating in camps, teams, or lessons this summer?  Take the time to jointly review the schedule, sign-up costs, pick-up and drop-off plans, and incidental expenses for each (Does Sally need a new baseball mitt and cleats for sports camp?  Do books need to purchased for Johnny's art class?  Should Micah rent a tuba for his lessons this summer?).  By agreeing to scheduling and costs up front, you'll be able to avoid a host of potential disagreements over the next several months.

4. Make a plan for the holidays.  

There are a number of holidays between the school year's end and start: Memorial Day, Father's Day, 4th of July, Labor Day.  Determine how the kids are going to spend these holidays, who will have custody, and if that will alter your typical custody calendar.  Perhaps, if your communication is particularly strong, you could even plan a tradition or event that everyone can be present for.

5. Schedule vacations. 

The flexibility of the summer schedule often allows for one or both co-parents to take the kids for an extended trip or vacation.  Make your co-parent knows and agrees to: the dates, costs, location and types of activities the kids will be doing while there.  This type of communication promotes mutual respect and trust (and is often legally mandated, particularly if you are altering your typical custody schedule).  While you're on vacation, you can use the Fayr app's geo-tagging capabilities to confirm your location with your co-parent.

6. Allow for down time.  

All the above being said, please don't forget to set aside chunks of unscheduled time for the kids when they are at both houses. Down time is not the enemy of brain development or well-being -- quite the opposite is true.  Idleness, leisure, and boredom are good for kids.  Creating open space for "kids to be kids" prevents over-scheduling and it gives co-parents a brief reprieve from shuttling kids to and fro.

7. Share the plan with the kids.

In advance of summer break, set a time to go over the kids' new schedules and activities for the summer.  This overview not only helps kids prepare mentally for the transition to summer, it gives them space to ask questions about the changes and to express any worries or anxieties they might be experiencing.  In an ideal world, all parents and kids would be present at this meeting to ensure that the whole family is on the same page.  If this is not an option for you and your co-parent, ensure that you've agreed to the 6 points above before each parent reviews the summer schedule with the kids at their respective homes.  

Constructive Conversations: How to De-Escalate High-Conflict Exchanges With Your Co-Parent

At Fayr, our goal is to facilitate a kind, fair relationship between co-parents for the good of the children.  

We also know that maintaining a conflict-free relationship is not always simple or easy.

Sometimes, divorce or separation is precipitated by a high level of conflict that carries over into the initial separation period.  Other times, the actual separation might be relatively conflict-free, only for disagreements to arise during a different, challenging period of co-parenting.  This makes sense -- the task of constantly communicating and interacting with an ex over the course of years is daunting for even the most even-tempered and zen among us.  

Unfortunately, in the field of developmental psychology "there is no debate that continued, ongoing, unresolved high conflict is harmful to children of divorce." (1)  

Which means that periods of high conflict are not just inconvenient, they're urgent to resolve.  

If you identify as being in or can recall a time of high conflict, the following questions might feel familiar:

• How do I continue to communicate with my co-parent when they’re the person I'd least like to deal with?

• How do I continue to look out for my children and their well-being when I feel personally attacked?

• How do I ensure that a necessary conversation can stay positive and productive when it seems like we don't see eye-to-eye on anything?

To answer these questions, we enlisted the help of Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Robin Maddox to give us tips for how to turn a high-conflict situation into a constructive conversation.

7 Tools for Constructive Co-parenting Conversations:

1. Request a conversation.  If you know the topic is tricky or has been a source of high conflict in the past, it's good to allow yourself and your co-parent time and space to prepare to enter the conversation calmly and removed from unrelated external stressors. Try messaging: "I want to talk about {Johnny's summer vacation schedule}. Is now a good time to talk?" Your co-parent might be available at that time, but they can suggest another time in the next 24 hours to talk.

2. Stay on track. The quickest way to escalate an already tense conversation is to bring in other areas of conflict.  Honor the requested topic and speak directly to the conversation at hand only.  If other topics arise, note them and request to tackle those areas later, in a separate conversation.  

3. Don't respond with your own aggressiveness.  Arguments escalate most rapidly when both parties feel attacked or go on the attack.  Do your best (within reason and appropriate boundaries) to ignore your co-parent's aggressiveness and answer calmly rather than responding with your own anger.  

4. Name your experience.  This might seem counterintuitive, but naming your experience can help you gain objectivity and increase empathy in your co-parent.  It can be as simple and straightforward as this: "I'm feeling pretty overwhelmed and reactive right now. This is a really hard topic for me."  

5. Count to three before you respond.  A classic and universally applicable technique, taking even a few moments to breath and process before responding to your co-parent helps decrease your own reactivity and pauses the escalating pace of an argument. 

6. Take a time out.  If a conversation feels too escalated, call a time out. Tell your co-parent in an even tone (e.g.: no slamming down the phone or storming off if you're in person) that you need a break, but confirm that within the next 24 hours that you'll return to the conversation. 

7. Get a third party involved. If you are struggling to make progress and feel instead that each conversation is only adding fuel to the fire, it's wise to involve an objective third party such as a family psychologist or legal counsel. If you've been using the Fayr app, you'll have a clear, inalterable record of your message exchanges which you can print out as a PDF report to share with your counselor.

1. E. Kruk, Ph.D., "Co-Parenting and High Conflict," Psychology Today (2012).

3 Crucial Co-Parent Communication Tools That Will Make Your Whole Family Happy

From dueling partners to communicating co-parents.

It's not always the case, but separation of romantic relationships often comes after a period of extended verbal conflict and a breakdown in communication between partners.  

While your ex might be the last person you'd like to speak with personally, your roles and relationship with one another have changed.  You are no longer romantic partners -- you are co-parents.  And from now on your most important job from here on out is to act as a team who, together, will be support and nourish your kids and help them thrive.   

Conflict, not divorce, is what harms our children.

Children from divorced families tend to experience greater behavioral symptoms and academic problems than their peers in non-divorced two parent homes. Yet as clinical psychologists Joan Kelly, Ph.D. and Robert Emery, Ph.D found, separation does not have to be a death sentence for your children.  Post-divorce conflict has a strong influence on children's adjustment, meaning that even if your kids experienced conflict when you and your co-partner were together, if you can create a cooperative post-divorce relationship and reduce conflict, your kids will fare far better.*

Whether your previous conversations were tense, mostly amicable or argument-filled, below are are three clear ways to improve communication with your co-parent for the good of your kids.

“... Even if your kids experienced conflict when you and your co-partner were together, if you can create a cooperative post-divorce relationship and reduce conflict, your kids will fare far better.*”

3 Crucial Tools for Communicating as a Co-Parent That Will Make Your Whole Family Happy:

1) Clarity.  Much tension and disagreement in communication arises from a lack of clearly stating your request / timeline / needs.  If you need to change your schedule or have another request for your co-parent, focus on clearly outlining your exact ask.  Don't say, "Things are crazy at work, can you help out Tuesday?" Instead say, "I have a work project that will go late on Tuesday.  The kids finish baseball practice at 4:30.  Would you be able to pick them up and get them started on homework until I can get them at 5:45?"  This clear request prevents confusion and makes it easy for your co-parent to respond. 

2) Consistency.  This is a time of a lot of change for everyone.  What will make your kids feel more secure and your ex feel like you are on a team is simple: do what you say you're going to do, at the time you said you were going to do it.  If clarity is about saying exactly what you mean, then consistency is about having your actions follow your words.  When you follow-through on your promises and are reliable in your communication, it reassures your children and fortifies your co-parenting relationship. 

3) Compassion.  Navigating the new world as a part-time single parent is not easy for anyone.  There will be times when you make a mistake, when you feel overwhelmed, when you need help.  This is precisely true of your co-parent as well.  If they make a small error or need additional support from you, one of the best things you can do is respond with compassion.  It sets a positive tone for your communication with you co-parent and is kind behavior to model for your children.  

*Kelly, J. B., & Emery, R. E. (2003).  Children’s adjustment following divorce:  Risk and resiliency perspectives.  Family Relations, 52, 352-362.