Successful Co-Parenting: Divorced Dad Shows Sons Why He's Still Buying Ex-Wife Birthday Presents

A divorced dad is showing his sons the best example of what it means to be a good man who does co-parenting right. Billy Flynn from Boston still buys his ex-wife birthday presents, which doesn't sit well with people he knows. The dad, however, has a very good reason for doing this.

On Love What Matters via Facebook, Flynn said he prepared the flowers and gifts for his ex-wife's birthday for his two boys to give to their mother. Someone questioned him about this gesture and he was prodded to explain the reason why.

"I'm raising two little men," he said. "The example I set for how I treat their mom is going to significantly shape how they see and treat women and affect their perception of relationships," he added, citing doing this is even more important since they are divorced parents who share the load of co-parenting in different households.

"If you aren't modeling good relationship behavior for your kids, get your shit together," Flynn said. "Rise above it and be an example."

Flynn, who works as a lawyer, also celebrated his ex-wife's birthday with their kids, according to Huffington Post. He didn't simply drop the boys off with her but took the time to acknowledge her special day.

Flynn's message has struck a chord among netizens. Divorced parents who struggle with raising kids with an ex, or grown up kids who have witnessed their divorced parents bicker again and again, thanked Flynn for his inspiring post. As of press time, the message has been shared over 174,000 times.

Many divorced parents struggle at co-parenting because of unresolved issues that continue to make their relationship tension-filled. A study from University of Florida IFAS Extension stated the manner by which co-parents communicate and relate to each other greatly impacts their kids, not just their relationship with each other.

If children of divorce are exposed to co-parenting problems, then they are likely to also have problems adjusting socially and academically. For adults who co-parent well, however, their children could grow up better adjusted and able to deal with problems with less anxiety and stress.