Raising children with a co-parent is often a test of one’s patience. While many people think that the worst kind of co-parent to deal with is one who’s openly confrontational, others will probably say that having one who’s passive-aggressive is just as bad.
The tactics of a passive-aggressive co-parent can have a negative impact on the children. Once you realize what’s going on, you may decide that you want to try to minimize the way it’s affecting the children. Knowing some of the more common passive-aggressive techniques may help you to combat them.
Indecisiveness
Procrastination and avoidant behavior when a co-parent has to make any decisions are also passive-aggressive behaviors. These harm the children because it deprives them of the stability they need in life. They also may not have the time to properly plan for things they want to do. It might be necessary to try to have the court give you unilateral decision-making powers on important matters — like a child’s education, medical needs or extracurriculars — so you don’t have to wait on your ex to cooperate.
Lack of communication
A passive-aggressive co-parent may ghost you for a while. They simply start ignoring your efforts to communicate. While this is certainly childish, it does what it’s intended to do: It makes your life more difficult. If your co-parent is doing this, be sure to keep trying to communicate about the important matters. Using a monitored communication method might be the best option.
Having a parenting plan that clearly outlines the duties of each parent is beneficial in these matters. This should be set as soon as possible to avoid issues. Having the assistance of someone who’s familiar with child custody may help you come up with creative solutions to the challenges that are occurring in your case.