Maintaining good communication between both parents impacts on your child’s wellbeing, emotional security and confidence in many positive ways. Therefore, it is important to establish an open and honest exchange as soon as possible after separation. Although some relationships can provide challenges, when it comes to communicating in an effective and productive manner, it is important to work at creating harmonious relationships.

Improving Communication
Many couples experience poor communication before separation takes place. In some cases, communication can become almost non-existent, which creates further problems regarding custodial and property issues and agreeing effective solutions. There are, however, simple ways to improve communication and to establish shared responsibility and decision-making:
There is little point talking about bad habits, challenging behaviour and other issues that may relate to anger or frustration.
To encourage good communication it is important to listen actively and to consider the other person’s needs.
Collecting your thoughts before responding allows you to consider the best way of communicating your message, and will ensure that you do not intimate or provoke a negative response.
Learn to Appreciate
Appreciating the care and attention your ex-partner consistently shows your child/children creates a positive impression that encourages reciprocation. This in turn improves interaction and communication and encourages the development and growth of harmonious relationships.
Being tolerant of each other, regardless of previous challenges and difficulties, also enables you both to move forward in creating a more rewarding form of communication that benefits everyone
What Not to Do
As a responsible adult, it is important that you act like one whenever you are speaking to your child’s mother.
Threatening or intimating behaviour and communication – whether by telephone, email, or text – should not be used or tolerated.
Using your child/children to deliver messages or to provide you with information is also not recommended.
Making good communication a priority will ensure you pay careful attention to behaviour or questioning that may provoke a negative response. Ensuring you are attentive, supportive and willing to create positive changes will also help you maintain a positive outlook.
If All Else Fails
Couple counselling is not exclusively available to cohabiting individuals. In times of great stress, emotional difficulties and poor communication, counselling may provide you with the best solution to improving relations with an ex-partner or spouse. Using Mediation can also help couples overcome communication problems so that they are able to work together at maintaining an improved level of communication, acceptance and understanding of each other and shared circumstances.