It can be difficult for divorced parents to agree about how to raise their children. It can be especially challenging in the time period immediately following the divorce to discipline a child who has recently had to deal with the emotional ordeal of a family breaking up.  

Despite these challenges, it’s extremely important for you to continue to be consistent with disciplining your children after your divorce. Here are some tips to help you do this:

• Communicate with your former partner. Put your differences aside for long enough to sit down with your ex-spouse and have a frank, productive discussion about how you will discipline your children. You need to make sure there is consistency across both households, especially when it comes to major issues. If one parent is significantly more lenient than the other, it could cause a lot of problems with the child disobeying the “stricter” parent.
• Stick to your rules. Once you have determined your rules, stick with them. Kids are always keen to test their limits, especially after divorces when they believe they may be able to take advantage of the situation. Being consistent with your rules will help make the transition easier.
• Keep punishments in your house. You cannot expect your former partner to enforce all of the punishments you hand down on your children. It’s not fair to the other parent. Keep in mind that the length of a punishment is not as important in discipline as enforcing that punishment.

If you could use legal assistance with child custody and visitation issues after your divorce, consult a dedicated La Plata family law attorney with Mudd, Mudd & Fitzgerald, P.A.