Eight months into the divorce, Mark continues to be surprised by ways his ex makes him uncomfortable, but recognizes that co-parenting is becoming smooth overall, and could be much worse. In our recent conversations, Mark and I discussed alternatives to the parenting schedule Mark and his ex agreed to, which is a "week on, week off" schedule, that does not allow Mark to establish a weekly routine. In this conversation, Mark shares the agreement he reached with his ex to try a different kind of parenting schedule, called a 2-2-5 schedule, which is common in many shared custody co-parenting families. In addition, we discuss the urge to manage what the other parent does with the kids, and what sort of requests and conditions feel reasonable.

Topics include:

• Feeling that the ex is claiming to have a better connection with the kids
• When the ex opens the door with no pants
• How much can we dictate what the ex does with the kids, and who the kids spend time with? (hint: not much)
• Considering playdates as brief childcare
• Realizing the things that are going well in co-parenting
• Preparing to try out a 2-2-5 parenting schedule
• Planning a spring break with the kids

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