21/08/2025
Great article 👏 Well done Orla. I always say parenting in the hardest job you will ever do but also the most rewarding. Co-Parenting can be even more challenging.
In the early days of pregnancy with my son, I went on a weekend trip to Paris with his dad. I remember us sitting by the Eiffel Tower, full of nerves and excitement, imagining what kind of parents we would be. We talked about our hopes for the future, painting a picture of the family life we thought lay ahead.
Not once did it cross my mind that we’d end up parenting from two separate homes. But shortly before my son’s second birthday, our relationship ended and our family’s story took a very different turn.
Last week, I found myself back in Paris – this time with my now-six-year-old son. I met his dad at the Eiffel Tower again, but this time it was to hand over our son for his three weeks with him over the summer holidays. For various reasons that could be an article in itself, Paris is where we agreed to meet.
Needless to say, a lot has happened between that first trip to Paris and the second. If the Orla from that first Paris visit had seen a glimpse of this one, she might have felt devastated. She certainly wouldn’t have believed I’d be happy. But I am.
My family setup looks nothing like what I once imagined, but I’ve worked hard to make it one that works for me and for my son. And now, I genuinely can’t imagine parenting any other way.
Co-parenting comes with its challenges, but I’ve learned that it doesn’t have to mean conflict, chaos or failure. In fact, it’s taught me more about parenting, partnership, and myself than I ever expected.
