Apr/May 2025 Aspire Magazine FULL Issue | Page 116

This means if your co-parent has established a boundary, respect it. Mutual respect lays the groundwork for successful ongoing communication, an important component for effective co-parenting.

Boundaries are put in place to assist you in your ability to co-parent together. When you understand and respect the parameters you both put into place, you will become the parents and co-parents— and role models-- your children deserve.

DR. JANN BLACKSTONE – Dr. Jann Blackstone specializes in child custody, co-parenting, divorce, and step family mediation. She is the author of multiple books on divorce, remarriage, and coparenting, including Ex-Etiquette for Parents: Good Behavior After Divorce and Separation, Ex-Etiquette for Weddings, Ex-Etiquette for Holidays, and My Parents are Divorced, Too. Dr. Blackstone is also the founder of Bonus Families, a 501 c3 non-profit organization dedicated to peaceful coexistence between divorced or separated parents and their combined families. Her new book is The Bonus Family Handbook: The Definitive Guide to Co-Parenting and Creating Stronger Families. Learn more at www. bonusfamilies. com.