You're Not Alone: 3 Common Co-Parenting Struggles and How to Handle Them

Let’s be honest—co-parenting isn’t always easy. Some days, it feels like you’re juggling a dozen balls while walking a tightrope... blindfolded. Between the emotional ups and downs, the logistical back-and-forth, and trying to do what’s best for your child, it’s no wonder so many parents feel overwhelmed.

But here’s something important to remember: you’re not alone—and you don’t have to figure it all out by yourself.

Through our parenting guidance sessions based on Parent Effectiveness Training (PET), we help co-parents learn simple, practical skills that make a real difference. Skills that help you listen so your child feels truly heard, speak in a way that invites cooperation, and solve problems without turning every disagreement into a battlefield.

Let’s look at a few common struggles and how these skills can help you manage them with more confidence and calm.

1. Communication Breakdowns Between Parents

Whether it’s a quick text that spirals into conflict, or feeling like you're constantly misunderstood, communication issues are one of the biggest stressors for co-parents.

What helps:In our sessions, parents learn to use “I-messages”—a way to express your own needs clearly and without blame. These simple shifts in how you speak can completely change the tone of your conversations. Instead of sparking defensiveness, they open the door to real understanding.

And maybe even more important—you’ll also learn active listening, a powerful tool that helps both you and your co-parent listen to your child. When a child feels truly understood, it creates a safe space for them to process their feelings and thoughts—so they can come up with their own solutions in ways that work best for them. It’s amazing what kids can figure out when they’re really listened to.

2. Inconsistency Between Households

Different rules, routines, and expectations can make kids feel like they’re living in two separate worlds—and it’s often unsettling. One parent might be more structured, while the other takes a more relaxed approach. And naturally, that can lead to conflict and confusion.

What helps:In PET, we teach a collaborative approach to problem-solving. Instead of going back and forth or keeping score, you’ll learn how to work with your co-parent to find solutions that respect both of your needs—and your child’s. It’s a six-step process that feels fair and actually works, helping prevent the same issues from cropping up again and again.

The goal isn’t to make both homes identical—it’s to create enough consistency and mutual understanding so your child feels safe, stable, and supported.

3. Managing Your Own Emotions

Parenting is emotional. Co-parenting? Even more so. Whether it’s grief, anger, guilt, or just pure exhaustion, it’s easy to react from a place of emotion rather than intention. And when that happens, it often affects your child more than anyone else.

What helps:One of the beautiful things about Parent Effectiveness Training is that it doesn’t just focus on your child’s behavior—it helps you tune in to your own needs, values, and feelings. You’ll learn how to recognise when you’re triggered and how to respond in a way that’s calm and constructive.

This doesn’t mean pretending everything’s fine—it means learning how to handle the hard moments with clarity, kindness, and self-respect. And when your child sees that, they learn to do the same.

Because Co-Parenting Isn’t Just About Splitting Time—

It’s About Building Trust

You and your co-parent are still a team, even if you’re not under the same roof. When both of you use the same tools—like listening with empathy, speaking respectfully, and solving problems together—you create a foundation of trust and emotional safety for your child.

And that? That’s what really lasts.

Want to Learn More?

If this speaks to you, our parenting guidance sessions are a great next step. Whether you're newly navigating co-parenting or feeling stuck in old patterns, we’re here to help.

You’ll walk away with practical, real-life tools you can use every day—not just to survive co-parenting, but to make it feel lighter, more respectful, and a whole lot less stressful.

Let’s give your child the solid, loving foundation they deserve—together