Getting to Know You

We can think of few thornier relationships that could use more improvement than your relationship with your ex’s new beloved. It’s a prickly issue, to be certain—after all, this person might be the reason your relationship ended—but in the end it will be good for you and your family.

Mending fences is important not just for your own healing process, but for your children if you have them. You don’t need to be BFF, but acting with a level of grace and civility will keep your head free of all-consuming negative thoughts. It will also be a good lesson to the kids that we all have to get along with people, even if we don’t necessarily like them. No need to pour on the saccharine, though—just be polite.

This means no bad-mouthing, no stalking the new relationship and certainly no getting in the way of a connection between the new person and the kids. If you need a bit of encouragement, take a cue from two women who created Bonusfamilies.com after working through their own issues as ex and new wife. You might not be willing to go that far, but you’ll see that you can indeed get along. [Lifetime]