Co-parenting a special needs child has many challenges. This added difficulty can weed out anyone who is anything less than completely serious about co-parenting their special needs child. Here are some tips to remember as you co-parent your special needs child in Rhode Island.
It takes a village
If you suspect your ex-partner might not have their whole heart in this child custody arrangement or is otherwise not up for the challenge, you must have a contingency plan. The health and happiness of your child is at stake. Remember that community support is out there, but you must seek it out for anyone to know you need it.
Even if you are co-parenting successfully with a special needs child, parents are rarely able to manage it all on their own. At the best of times, when the two of you are working together perfectly, you should still have friends, family and others in the community to help. It’s important that these be people you can trust and who understand your child’s needs.
It may be tempting to do it all yourself and shoulder every burden, but you will inevitably burn out that way. Likely, you’d rather be there for your child in the long term, so don’t exhaust yourself now. You may get to the point where you can’t be there for them later in life, when they’ll probably need you just as much, if not more.
Work together and take care of yourself
As much as possible, try to be flexible. It’s helpful to communicate and coordinate your way through every obstacle.
Most of all, don’t leave yourself out of the care equation. You have to be there for yourself to be there for your kids. Your child has special needs, but you must ensure your needs are met too.
