As you probably know, when it comes to children, you’re never really done when it comes to caring for them. Even when custody battles are all said and done, no one’s really “won”. Someone gets custody and someone doesn’t, but neither side “wins” the majority of the time. In fact, thinking of a custody has in terms of winning and losing has its downfalls, because in reality, the only winners are children who now get to benefit from a safe and happy home.
After you win custody, the real battle begins. You’ll need to keep up with all the things your children needed without any of the extra help that was provided by your ex-spouse. That doesn’t mean that you have to do everything by yourself, but it does mean you need to make all the plans yourself and effectively parent your child or children without the second part of your partnership.
To help you conquer this very real and very difficult challenge, you’ll need to set aside any of the feelings you may have that cloud your judgment and your mood. Resentment, anger, and fury over things you can no longer control will make it harder to actually parent your children correctly. In addition, it’s very likely you’ll have to continue to work with the other parent of your children to arrange times to visit and other issues that may arise with your Bakersfield child custody arrangement.
One of the best things you can do is resist relocating. When marriages fail, many people wish to “find new opportunities” and “start anew”. Unfortunately, this is often not the best move for your children. The court awarded you with custody because they trusted your judgment on what’s best for the kids. Don’t prove them wrong.
In addition, it can be difficult to want to deal with the other parent. There may be bad feelings because of cheating or other problems that caused the divorce. Don’t let these issues stand in the way of allowing your kids to spend time with both of their parents. Encourage your ex to interact with your children so they can grow up feeling love from both sides.
It can be difficult to balance all of your responsibilities and keep cordial communication going after a relationship has been dissolved, but it’s important to know that winning a custody battle in Bakersfield doesn’t mean you’ve “won” – it just means that now you’ll have to make the best decisions for your children that you can, which often means consulting with the other parent.