Trying to work with your ex to raise the children you share might be a challenging undertaking. Some parents are now choosing to co-parent, which involves keeping consistent rules between both homes. Co-parents also do a lot of things together with the child, but the parents aren’t in a romantic relationship any longer.

Parents who decide to co-parent are likely going to come to the conclusion that it isn’t as easy as what they thought it would be. There are going to be some decisions that come with difficulties and enormous stress. Here are some ways that you might be able to make the co-parenting relationship less contentious, even when you don’t agree with your ex:

Put things into perspective

Take a little time to think about whether the subject of the disagreement is worth the fight. After you take the time to put things in perspective, you might realize that letting your ex “win” this one isn’t going to affect your child in the long run. Sometimes, it is better to admit defeat instead of trying to push for your way and making the relationship suffer irreparable damage.

There are some issues that you might need to fight about. If this is one of those issues, you can take this time to take a step back and look at the possible solutions. Think about how each solution will affect your child. Try to find some middle ground where you and your ex can meet.

Change parenting styles

If you and your ex absolutely can’t come to an agreement on the matter, you might have to move from the current co-parent relationship to a more traditional parallel parent relationship. This enables you and your ex to each have your own rules without having to get the other parent’s input on the matter. What you allow or don’t at your house isn’t dependent upon what your ex allows or doesn’t allow while your child is there.

Whether you go back to the co-parent relationship later depends on what you and your ex decide. No matter what decision is made, make sure that your child is getting all the love, support and stability necessary to thrive. You and your ex can always take things to court if the contentious issues become impossible to work through. This would enable you to have the court issue an order about what needs to happen and who is going to make certain decisions for the child’s life.