When I first became a parent and was completely overwhelmed with the workload, the lack of sleep, the appointments, the new logistics of going about the world with another human being stuck to my hip, I could often be found exclaiming, ‘I don’t know HOW my single friends are doing this!!’
My other half and I really struggled with our relationship in those first couple of years – we were SO tired, fighting with this crazy big adjustment and he worked really long hours – but at least I had him.
Even if he didn’t get home until 10pm at night, I still knew that he was going to be there at some point and I could hand over parenting duties or just have a little bit of help with whatever was needed.
The majority of my friends who were parenting without a partner didn’t have that luxury and in many cases, had the added stress of constantly fighting with the father of their child because of lack of support or disagreements about parenting decisions.
When mum Leah Hunter became pregnant with her daughter she wasn’t in a relationship with the father and so they mutually agreed to write a ‘Parenting Pre-nup’ which, she says, has been really successful for them.
They spent four-and-a-half months creating an agreement which includes custody arrangements, education, religion, finances, decision making, travel – everything you can think of.
While the rules were rigid to begin with, Leah says they are learning as the go and loosening certain aspects of the agreement to suit everyone but for now, it’s mostly really working out.
“My daughter Cecilia is now six years old and has the best of all worlds. Her dad and I live three blocks apart, by design. We are friends. And more importantly, we are good co-parents”
What do you think about this, would it work for you? Let us know in the comments on Facebook.
