7 Co-Parenting Books That Take the Stress Out of Life Post-Divorce

One of the best "starter" co-parenting books, Parenting Apart: How Separated and Divorced Parents Can Raise Happy and Secure Kids by Christina McGhee provides solutions to some of the early big issues faced by divorcing parents, such as how and when to tell kids about the split. It also suggests a simple vocabulary to help everyone transition to the new style of parenting — "on- or off-duty parent" and "two-home concept" — and offers advice on explaining this to every age group, from toddlers to teenagers.

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Healthy Children of Divorce in 10 Simple Steps: Minimize the Effects of Divorce on Your Children by Shannon Rios Paulsen LMFT is based on a simple, 10-step process to help co-parents communicate effectively and make the best decisions for their kids. Dwelling on the past is something many co-parents struggle with; this book offers actionable steps to help discharge that burden and focus on a happier, more harmonious future.

Top of many a list of best co-parenting books is Mom's House, Dad's House: Making Two Homes For Your Child. Written by internationally renowned therapist, family expert and mediator Isoline Ricci, it combines a practical framework for healthy co-parenting (checklists, guidelines and self-tests) with a deep dive into the psychology behind why certain people are better equipped to co-parent than others. (It's no surprise that high-conflict spouses are more likely to be high-conflict co-parents.) Mom's House, Dad's House helps parents understand the "why" to make the "how" a little easier.

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The age of your kids is an important factor when creating a new co-parenting family structure, and The Co-Parenting Handbook: Raising Well-Adjusted and Resilient Kids from Little Ones to Young Adults through Divorce or Separation by Karen Bonnell provides advice and tips for kids of all ages. It offers concrete ideas like a shared list of co-parenting goals (with a sample list included) and co-parenting communication guidelines, but it also addresses the emotional impact of separation, conflict, grief, and recovery on kids.

Mindful Co-parenting: A Child-Friendly Path through Divorce is written by two clinical psychologists, Jeremy S. Gaies and James B. Morris, which is reflected in their direct yet reassuring style. This easy-to-digest, step-by-step guide is designed to help parents identify their kids' needs and create a comprehensive co-parenting plan that best meets those needs. Many parents will find the guidance on evaluating their conflict level, followed by recommendations on communication based on that conflict level, incredibly useful.

Co-Parenting 101: Helping Your Kids Thrive in Two Households after Divorce by Deesha Philyaw and Michael D. Thomas is an exhaustive guide to parenting across two households. The chapters "Fifteen Things You May Want to Do (But Must Not Do) as a Co-Parent "and "Fifteen Things You Must Do (But May Not Want to Do) as a Co-Parent" are great levelers when you may be tempted to act in a way that's not in the best interests of your child. And because it's written by a formerly married, co-parenting couple, it hits just the right tone.

Parenting is hard enough when parents show each other compassion and respect. Co-parenting with someone who's difficult, selfish, and irrational can feel like an impossible task. It might not ever be a walk in the park, but Joint Custody with a Jerk: Raising a Child with an Uncooperative Ex by Julie A. Ross and Judy Corcoran helps make it a little easier. By providing real solutions to tough issues and a range of teaching tools and proven communication techniques, plus a very timely look at how digital forms of communication can be both positive and negative, it's the definitive guide for high-conflict custody situations.

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