Divorce is virtually always difficult, even in the friendliest divorce. Since most divorces are less than friendly, this means the allocation of parental responsibilities may be equally unfriendly. Even so, most parents learn to work together and find a way to co-parent their child, regardless of the difficulties involved.
Unfortunately, even parents who generally get along well after the divorce and have done a good job as co-parents while the children were younger may be left reeling from a teenager whose only goal seems to be to divide and conquer. In the context of parenting, the divide and conquer approach refers to a teen’s ability to play his or her parents against one another in an attempt to get exactly what he or she wants.
Parents who are not one hundred percent in sync can hit some serious bumps in the parenting roadway when a teenager is involved. Now more than ever, it is essential that parents work together to ensure they are always on the same page and, hopefully, one step ahead of their teen. If you and your ex are having difficulties parenting your teen, speaking to an experienced Bloomingdale, IL family law attorney can be helpful.