The stress of the COVID-19 pandemic has affected all of us greatly in many different ways. For those going through divorce, this time may be increasingly overwhelming as feelings of confusion arise. You may be faced with many questions surrounding doing what’s best for you and your child. As more and more Canadians get vaccinated, many are wondering what happens when their ex-spouse doesn’t want to vaccinate the kids, but do. In this blog, we will be going over how to succeed at co-parenting through COVID vaccine disagreements. Focusing on how to effectively communicate your opinions and what factors play into the court’s decisions will help you understand what steps you need to take next.
1. Reflect On the Reality of the Situation
You’ll want to start by taking time to remember that everyones opinions come from different perspectives. When it comes to topics such as human rights, safety issues and political ideals people naturally get emotional when defending their opinions. Our thoughts regarding intense topics may stem from past experiences, upbringing, religious views and many other factors.
This is not the time to question the validity of your ex’s opinions. This is the time get your point across respectfully so that you give your ex a chance to do so as well. The following steps will help you learn how to better your co-parenting skills even through COVID vaccine disagreements.
2. Learn Effective Communication Skills
If you’ve gone through counselling you’re probably aware of how urgently important it is to learn proper communication skills. When we are faced with sadness, fear, confusion and a lack of control our emotional state suffers greatly. As a result, an individual going through divorce is vulnerable and may have a more difficult time properly communicating. When tensions are high your ability to remain respectful while communicating may make all the difference. It is not often that all of your needs will be met during a divorce process. Finding a middle ground may be necessary for the betterment of you and your child.
Things To Remember:
- Be respectful and stay calm
- Making an effort to understand your ex’s opinion shows them that you can be reasonable
- Consider acceptance
3. Have A Conversation
When having a conversation with your ex-spouse about your opinions regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, you’ll want to do so without your child present. This is an opportunity for you and your ex to try and understand each others points of view and improve your co-parenting through vaccine disagreements.
During your conversation make sure to:
- Underline the importance of you both keeping the best interests of the child in mind
- Remember that it is both your responsibility as parents to make a decision for your child
- Keep in mind that this topic is not one that should be put aside for later. Making a decision too late could greatly affect the child.
- Consider legal help or counselling if an agreement cannot be made.
4. Be Responsible
Most disputes regarding the COIVD vaccine come down to distrust with medical and scientific data. Before going to court you’ll want to remember that judges will not be engaging in discussions surrounding the controversies. The New Canadian Divorce Act pushes for the best interests of the child and prioritizes their needs first.
When going to court make sure to:
- Remember that the judge does not want to make a decision for you.
- Being responsible is in your best favour
- Understand that a judge’s personal perspective may affect the decision made if you nor your ex-spouse can come to an agreement
At Hussain Law we focus on helping our clients navigate the emotional and financial challenges of separation and divorce. Our office remains fully operational, and we have implemented various new procedures that allow us to continue to advise clients seamlessly during this time. If you have a family law issue that you need assistance with, please contact Ayesha Hussain at 647-428-3919.
Trackbacks/Pingbacks