Finding love after a heart-wrenching breakup can feel like a breath of fresh air. You're ecstatic to rediscover your worthiness of love and eager to embark on your next chapter. But when you are a parent, the journey of blending a new partner into your family dynamic can be fraught with challenges.

So, when is it the right time to introduce your children to a new love interest? How long should you be dating? What do you need to know before you go down this path? How do you prepare for the introduction? Do you need to tell your co-parent? And how do you do that?

It is said that those involved with the family courts—domestic relations judges, guardians ad litem, parenting coordinators, and others—must always act in the best interests of the children involved. And certainly, that is easy enough to agree with given the fact that these court officers make life-changing decisions on behalf of these children.

But how do you define “best interests of the child”? Is there a uniform definition of the term “best interests”? I mean if this is the legal standard for making life-changing decisions for a child, shouldn’t the standard be objective and measurable? Yet, according to the U.S. Government Child Welfare Information Gateway (childwelfare.gov), “…there is no standard definition of best interests of the child.” They go on to state that “"Best interests" determinations are generally made by considering a number of factors related to the child's circumstances and the parent or caregiver's circumstances and capacity to parent, with the child's ultimate safety and well-being the paramount concern.”

Ah the Holidays. A time for joy, celebration, and… stress! It’s a challenging season for any family. Everyone talks grandly about beautiful holiday dinners, hours spent decorating together, shopping for gifts, and attending holiday parties.

But what happens if you’re a divorced or separated parent. For co-parents, the holidays serve up a full menu of stress. From the added challenges of dividing time with the children between two homes, to the pressure of creating those perfect childhood memories for your kids. So how do you get it right?

With a little intention and planning you can convert these challenges into opportunities for your family.

Divorce can be a challenging and emotionally charged experience for both parents and children. Amidst the upheaval, it's crucial not to let the pursuit of a child's passions and talents fall by the wayside. We’re talking sports, music, art, or clubs focused on more cerebral pursuits. Continued participation in such activities can provide your child with continuity they need in an otherwise changing world. It can also give them something positive to focus on and put their energy toward.

You’ve split from your child’s other parent. So what do you do when it comes to celebrating your child’s birthday? Just because you two aren’t together doesn’t mean your child stops having birthdays or that you no longer dream of giving your child wonderful birthday memories.

Do you want to give him a party or buy her a nice gift which would be easier if you both paid for it? Maybe you’re super busy with work and could use some help having a party with 20 rambunctious young boys or a slumber party for your tween girl and her 15 giggling friends. Do you usually celebrate birthdays with extended family? How do you pull that off now?

As we approach a new school year, parents begin to turn their attention to back-to-school thoughts. What school supplies will your children need? What clothes will they want? When will the house be quiet again during the late morning and early afternoon hours?

My son’s father and I separated in July right before our son started kindergarten. Many studies have shown that children of divorce often earn lower grades than their peers whose parents are still together. And beyond the divorce itself, this can impact your children in the long term as well. Just think about how important grade point average is to a high school student when it comes to getting into the college of their choice. One bad grade and the damage is done. I wasn’t about to saddle our son with the burden of our choices right as his academic career started. And you don’t have to either. Don’t let your child become an academic statistic.

Family vacations play a key role in building strong family bonds. Vacations give family members an opportunity to relax, reconnect, and set aside distractions so they can enjoy being together. Whether it’s camping, going to the beach, visiting an amusement park, or dedicating a week to a staycation where you all just spend great quality time together, children look to family vacations as a time when the parents are free of work distractions and more focused on them.

While teenagers may complain about being away from friends, scowl at activities they don’t think they’ll enjoy, and bury themselves in their phones, don’t be fooled by their aloof demeanor. These are the times they will remember for the rest of their lives. And that’s to say they will remember them when they happen and when they didn’t happen.

While collaborative co-parenting is on the rise, there are still too many parents who fall victim to parental alienation by their co-parent. Parents who are too hurt, too angry, or just too narcissistic to consider the wellbeing of their child over their own emotions go to great lengths to deprive both their child and their co-parent of the opportunity to build and maintain a meaningful parent-child relationship.