The co-parenting journey is a challenging one, requiring commitment, patience and flexibility, especially when you are co-parenting a special needs child. As a parent in New Jersey co-parenting their special needs child, you should be prepared for the challenges ahead and have a plan to help you succeed.
A detailed parenting plan can be an invaluable tool
A central part of your child custody order is the parenting plan. While a basic parenting plan focuses on the visitation schedule, you can customize it to suit your child’s needs. You can include information about decision-making, for example, as raising a special needs child requires many decisions. You can also include information about conflict resolution and communication. This last one is very important since you will want to ensure that you and your co-parent share relevant information about your child and that you are both up to date on everything.
Raising your special needs child takes a village
You and your co-parent should clearly know the many members of this village, as you will probably find yourself reaching out for their help during your co-parenting journey. The members of this village, who can provide a variety of support, include:
- Grandparents
- Other family members
- Doctors, nurses and therapists
- Teachers and counselors
Create safe, stable environments for your child to grow up in
Depending on your choice as co-parents, your child might split time between your two households, or you might decide that it is better for your child to live primarily with one parent and have visitation from the other parent. Either way, you will want to create safe, stable home environments that are comfortable and ready to serve all your child’s needs.
Co-parenting your special needs child requires love, effort and hard work. Being prepared and gathering a support team around you can help your co-parenting journey.
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