There is a time and a place for standing your ground. I know that many of my experiences as a single parent have taught me how to stand firm, advocate, and stick up for my own interests (and my families). This advocacy can turn to defensiveness, however, and we also need to learn how to communicate and coordinate with other parties and sometimes that means that we simple agree to disagree…
Whether it is a disagreement with the Ex or your child’s other parent, a teacher or administrator at your child’s school, a grandparent, or some other person or party that you have to work with in the process of raising your child, there are going to be those times when we just cannot come to agreement. We are either coming from such different perspectives or we have value systems that just cannot mesh. This does not mean that all is lost, however. Just because we cannot come to consensus, does not mean that the working relationship is lost. Instead, we can acknowledge our differences and agree that we just don’t see eye to eye. This does not have to be the end of the world. In fact, it can be a very mature way to handle things.
Having a good working relationship does not always mean that we agree. In fact, I think I have learned more about getting along with people I do NOT agree with since I have been a single parent than at any other time or era in my life! While my children’s other parent and I tend to agree on some things—there are many others (and big stuff too) that we just do not get on the same page about. We have learned how to admit and accept this, and then see how we can come up with solutions in spite of it. Getting to the place where you can agree that you disagree can be a good starting point for future collaboration or at least developing and understanding and reasonable working relationship.
See Also: When a Divorced Mom and Dad Don’t Agree on Parenting Issues
Is it Better to Say Nothing at All About the Other Parent?