There are few greater commitments in life than having children. Even with a loving partner by your side, the journey from a continuously crying baby to a stamping toddler and inevitably, hormonal teenager, is tough!
But when that relationship falls apart and you’re left trying to wade through a stormy separation, the weight of parenthood becomes even greater.
Sleepless nights are no longer reserved for small children as you lay in bed alone, wondering how to manage your new family dynamics.
Learning to co-parent with your ex is probably the last thing you want to do. Yet finding a way to work together, now that you're apart, is essential, not only for your children but for your own well-being.
Why Should You Co-Parent With Your Ex?
Whether you’re bitter from their actions or heartbroken from the reality that it's over, your raw emotions will be difficult to hide.
The temptation to sling mud at each other, be it through text or in person, is often difficult to ignore. And the idea of handing your children over to a person you barely know anymore is gut-wrenching.
But whilst your relationship is over, the one shared with your children isn’t. And this, above anything else, matters the most. Your kids need to feel loved, safe, and understood by both parents, despite how they feel about each other.
That’s not to say your emotions don’t matter. Of course, they do. You’re entitled to feel hurt, and angry, and lost. And you should allow yourself time to cry, to feel sad, and process what’s happened.
But the moment they were born, you committed to giving your children the best upbringing in the most loving family. And that doesn’t stop just because your relationship has.
See it not as a broken family but as an opportunity for you and your ex to build something new and positive for your children. The differences you have as people can be put aside. And you can become two happy, healthy homes that your kids enjoy spending time at.
These co-parenting quotes will help you see that although now different, your family can work. And with some time to adjust, you’ll not only cope but also be content, knowing that together, you’re doing what’s right for your children.
So let’s now take a look at these 79 co-parenting quotes.
79 Co-Parenting Quotes & Sayings to Cope in 2024
1. “At the end of the day, you’ve got to be a little selfless. You have to say ‘It’s not about us.” – Nick Cannon
2. “[Our son] comes first and you have to get past your own egos and you never talk bad about each other.” – Idina Menzel
3. “A little empathy for your co-parent goes a long way.” – Unknown
4. “You have to get to that point as a divorced parent, as any parent, where you’re not putting yourself first. You want the kids’ experience to be its own and not like, ‘Well, I need to have my time!’ We have been very good about that.” – Ryan Phillippe
5. “Co-parenting is not asking permission. It’s about discussing your child’s needs and wants and deciding what’s best.” – Unknown
Co-parenting is not asking permission. It’s about discussing your child’s needs and wants and deciding what’s best.” – Unknown
6. “No matter how bad it gets, don’t bash your co-parent in front of the kids.” – Unknown
7. “Children deserve both parents. They deserve to know that their parents respect each other, if nothing else. So that really helps me set the standard of how I try and behave.” – Jewel Kilcher
8. “It takes a lot of communication to help a child feel comfortable in two homes.” – Unknown
9. “But at the end of the day, we’ve got a great kid who’s got two parents who love him very much. And we’re finding a way to navigate this while still remaining friends and still being kind to one another.” – Chris Pratt
10. “We both realize that we’re parents and we’re in it for our kid, and that’s made it really easy.” – Pete Wentz
11. “Reassure your kids at every turn.” – Unknown
12. “The best, most mature co-parents will tell their therapist– and not their child – how much the other parent sucks.” – Hayley Gallagher
13. “I’m really fortunate because my ex and I are very good friends and I talk to him every day. Our daughteris growing up, seeing two people who care about each other.” – Angela Kinsey
14. “Collaborate, don’t compete. You will never win, and your child will lose.” – Unknown
15. “There is no such thing as a broken family. Family is a family and is not determined by marriage certificates, divorce papers, and adoption documents. Families are made in the heart.” – C. Joybell C.
16. “It’s a collaboration of parents doing what is best for the child regardless of their situation or feelings for one another.” – Unknown
17. “It’s about prioritizing. Just take it one step at a time. Do the best you can. I’m a mom and I have two husbands—an ex-husband and a next husband. It’s a blended family and it’s very hard to keep things together, but we’re happy and we live in love.” – Kimora Lee Simmons
18. “Instead of raising children who turn out okay despite their childhood, let’s raise children who turn out extraordinary because of their childhood.” – L.R. Knost
19. “Allow your child to love you both.” – Unknown
20. “Your child comes first. That’s all. It’s all about that. He comes first and you have to get past your own egos and you never talk bad about each other.” – Idina Menzel
21. “Think of it as an important business project; you don’t always love the person that you’re working with, but you work together to get the project done. Co-parents need to adopt this same business model when co-parenting their child” – Kela Price
22. “We made a mess of things, but then we managed to clean it all up. That might be our greatest showing of teamwork yet!” – Unknown
23. “Children are not possessions. You don’t ‘allow’ the father/mother extra time. When you say things like that, you imply that you think of your children as things, not humans.” – Unknown
24. “Make a positive difference in your children’s lives. Act and speak about your co-parent with respect and integrity.” – Allison Pescosolido
25. “We did a lot wrong, but in the kids, we at least one thing right!” – Unknown
26. “Don’t ever talk trash to a child about their other parent. After all, you found some good in them long enough to reproduce.” – Unknown
27. “Our partnership looks different, but our goals for the kids have always stayed the same.” – Unknown
28. “The greatest thing a father can do for his children is to respect the woman that gave birth to his children. It is because of her that you have the greatest treasures in your life. You may have moved on, but your children have not.” – Unknown
29. “Our children are the best gift that I have ever received from you and let’s co-parent them with love, care and honor.” – Unknown
30. “There were times where we never thought we could see eye to eye, so I'm proud of how we have landed in a place of positive co-parenting.” – Unknown
31. “Allow your children to be children. Don’t force them to choose between mummy and daddy.” – Unknown
32. “When you tell a child you hate their other parent, you are telling them you hate half of who they are.” – Unknown
33. “Some days co-parenting is hard and some days it is easy but on any day, it is not worth giving up.” – Unknown
34. Your ex is not your child’s ex… remember that.” – Unknown
35. “Children do not care about child support, who was married to whom, or why you don’t like each other. They are children; they care that their parents show-up. That when there is a Christmas recital, and they peek through the curtains, all of the people they love are there, without fighting for the best interest of the child.” – Jessica James
Children do not care about child support, who was married to whom, or why you don’t like each other. They are children; they care that their parents show-up. That when there is a Christmas recital, and they peek through the curtains, all of the people they love are there, without fighting for the best interest of the child.” – Jessica James
36. “Parents need to make peaceful co-parenting a real goal because the emotional wounds caused in the heart of a child can last a lifetime.” – Unknown
37. “If you love your child more than you hate your ex, you can solve most co-parenting” – Helen Fried
38. “It took a long time to land at the co-parenting destination. I'm so glad we weather the storms and made it into the light.” – Unknown
39. “One tip that has always helped me is to keep it on a business level, rather than a personal level. You’re now in the business of raising these children with a person that no longer resides in your home.” – Unknown
40. “Thumbs up for parents and step-parents who co-parent! Children need to feel safe and loved in both homes.” – Unknown
41. “Today, our relationship might be different but our goals for our children are still the same.” – Unknown
42. “Don’t ask them to carry messages to the other parent. Don’t ask kids to be responsible for setting up arrangements, changing schedules, or arranging rides. These are adult matters that need to be taken care of by the adults.” – Marie Hartwell-Walker
43. “I have had to learn to love you differently because I could never hate a person who my children are made up of.” – Unknown
44. “Co-parenting can be difficult, but if two parents continue to have open and honest communication, that builds trust, which makes co-parenting easier for everyone.” – Unknown
45. “Let’s raise our child together rather than making them choose which parent to pick.” – Unknown
46. “In co-parenting, some days are hard, but all days are worth trying for.” – Unknown
47. “How do you co-parent successfully after a difficult break-up? By loving your child more than you hate your ex. Support co-parenting. Your child will thank you for it.” – Unknown
48. “Moms and Step-moms are on the same team.” – Unknown
49. “Let’s keep the differences aside and come together so that we can create a happy and a stable life for our child.” – Unknown
50. “Families are like branches on a tree, we grow in different directions, yet our roots remain as one.” – Unknown
51. “We had to hit rock bottom before we could climb up to the awesome place of co-parenting that we find ourselves in today.” – Unknown
52. “I co-parent with dignity and respect; I care for and support my children financially and emotionally; Children need this kind of parenting, no matter what.” – Unknown
53. “At the end of the day, you’ve got to be a little selfless. You have to say “It’s not about us. This didn’t work out quite how we wanted it to, but look at the amazing blessing that we have in these wonderful children. So you kind a put everything else to the side and really focus.” – Nick Cannon
54. “We thought our relationship was dead, but this beautiful co-parenting partnership grew from the ashes.” – Unknown
55. “Shared parenting allies, not enemies! We should be on the same side working together doing best for our kids, despite of our differences.” – Unknown
56. “The sign of a great parent is not the behavior of the children, the sign of a truly great parent is the behavior of the parent.” – Andy Smithson
57. “Let’s co-parent with respect and dignity. Let’s support our child financially and emotionally, because that is what our child needs the most.” – Unknown
58. “It is critical to maintain boundaries between adult problems and children. Please protect your children’s innocence and allow them to remain children. They must not be burdened by adult problems. Kids don’t have the coping skills or the intellectual ability to understand money worries, adult relationship issues or their parent’s unhappiness.” – Unknown
59. “Co-parenting means I am on my own, but never alone. Thank you for your support.” – Unknown
60. “Our children are our universe, and we look forward to living the rest of our lives with them as the first priority.” – Drew Barrymore
61. “Parenting is not a competition. Rather, it is a combination of teamwork, respect and honor.” – Unknown
62. “Children need and deserve the love, care, and support of both parents.” – Unknown
63. “It can be an incredibly positive experience for a child to witness two people who are able to co-parent with respect and healthy communication.” – Unknown
64. “Divorce and separation is a reality for millions of families. CO-parenting is a beautiful response that puts kids first.” – Unknown
65. “Co-parenting. It’s not a competition between two homes. It’s a collaboration of parents doing what is best for the kids.” – Heather Hetchler
66. “Co-parenting can be difficult but if the two parents continue to have open and honest communication. That builds trust which makes co-parenting easier for everyone.” – Unknown
67. “This is probably one of the most difficult challenges any parent could face, learning to love the other parent enough to make the children first.” – Lyanila Vanzant
68. “The best security blanket a child can have is parents who respect each other.” – Jane Blaustone
69. “Effective parenting has nothing to do with pointing out our faults and everything to do with working out solutions.” – L.R. Knost
70. “Co-parenting is finding that happy balance can take months if not years to find, and sometimes for some families, they never agree on anything. The main focus should be on children, their wellbeing, and happiness.” – Unknown
Co-parenting is finding that happy balance can take months if not years to find, and sometimes for some families, they never agree on anything. The main focus should be on children, their wellbeing, and happiness.” – Unknown
71. “Kids need parents, not a part-time visitor with a checkbook.” – Unknown
72. “At the end of the day, the most overwhelming key to child’s success is the positive involvement of the parents.” – Jane D. Hull
73. “The more co-parents communicate with one another about the children, the less likely for small issues to grow into major problems.” – Unknown
74. “Never make your children feel scared to ask about the people they love.” – Unknown
75. “A child cannot have too many people who love them and want to help them succeed. Support Co-parenting!” – Unknown
76. “Co-parents need to suck it up and become a collaborative team for the sake of the child.” – Sherrill Ellsworth
77. “I don’t think it matters how many parents you’ve got, as long as those who are around make their presence a good one.” – Elizabeth Wurtzel
78. “We’re doing our very best and we’re putting our kids first and that’s how we’re focusing on our day-to-day lives and we don’t know what the future’s going to hold, but each step that we take is one where we prioritize our children and everything else comes second.” – Ben Affleck
79. “Our co-parenting relationship is a beautiful mess, but it is our mess.” – Unknown
Final Thoughts on Co-Parenting With Your Ex-Partner
Whilst most relationships end on a sour note, there’s no need to keep squeezing the lemon for more juice. It’s entirely possible to build a great friendship for the sake of your children. And they will thank you for it when they’re older.
Having a healthy relationship with your ex teaches your kids that despite your differences, you'll still put them first. And that you’re both committed to being great parents.
You’ve got this. But if you're looking for a little boost to your self-belief (because we all do from time to time), check out these 11 ways to stop being insecure & build self-esteem.
And if you want more inspirational quotes, be sure to check out these blog posts:
- 67 Priority Quotes on How to Identify What’s Truly Important
- 75 Boundaries Quotes About Setting Limits in Your Relationships
- 75 Empathy Quotes That Demonstrate Compassion for Others
Finally, if you want to use these quotes to make a lasting change to your life, then check out and recite these 57 affirmations for success.
Rebel Jones has been writing from a young age. She first used poetry to organise words – the rhythm and flow brought peace to her chaos. But as she developed (both as a person and as a writer), she embraced her offbeat thought process and found her own style and tone. Writing is definitely her happy place and one that she’s happy to share with the world.
