Healthy Co-Parenting Boundaries: Printable Checklist

Yes. Use the checklist below as a one-page reference: print this page or choose “Save as PDF” in your browser’s print menu. We designed it to help you turn broad intentions into clear, practical agreements.

Agree on one routine channel, such as email or a co-parenting app, and reserve calls for urgent matters. Keep messages about your child’s needs, schedules, and decisions rather than past relationship conflicts.

Checklist: ☐ Choose a channel. ☐ Set a reasonable response window for non-urgent messages. ☐ Define what counts as urgent.

Put regular parenting time, holiday plans, pickup locations, and handoff times in a shared calendar. Decide how much notice each of you will give when requesting a change, and confirm changes in writing.

Checklist: ☐ Share the calendar. ☐ Specify who handles transportation. ☐ Keep handoffs brief and child-focused. Our co-parenting holiday checklist offers more help with schedules and handovers.

Identify which decisions require a conversation before either parent commits, including medical care, school changes, and costly activities. For shared expenses, agree on eligible categories, approval limits, receipt-sharing, and payment deadlines.

Checklist: ☐ List joint decisions. ☐ Set an expense-approval threshold. ☐ Choose one place to record payments.

Respect each other’s home, personal time, and relationships while keeping your child’s safety central. Do not use your child to carry messages, gather information, or report on the other household.

Checklist: ☐ Contact the other parent directly. ☐ Agree on how new partners will be introduced to your child. ☐ Keep adult disagreements private.

Review these boundaries when your child’s schedule or needs change. If you have a court order or parenting plan, make sure your checklist works with it rather than replacing it.

Our team recommends dating each revision and sharing the same copy with the other parent, so you both know which version you are using.