Thing two: there's this insecure partner who would never allow their significant other to communicate with their fellow parent in the name of co-parenting and putting their kids' interest first. Like, if I'm not parent enough, and if you still keep in touch with your ex, then why can't you two just marry each other for your kids' best interest? See? Children bond easily with the adults in their lives, especially those who live with them, and this might be a big threat in cases there is a new relationship or marriage.
The fear of your own child, own blood, blending and bonding well with another version of you, is freaking! Decision making comes in, and see, much as you're the bio parent, this other step parent might demand equal rights about your child because they're the ones living with them and taking care of them. Tricky. To both the present parent and the kid.
If we delve deeper and ask around, this arrangement has a lot of loopholes and unseen drama. Forget the edited scripts, shit is not as rosy and cosy as we read about in these streets. It is a tricky conversation that we don't want to have, without getting emotional and personal. But I find it a bit complex.
Actually very complex, to the kids. Stressing to the parents and can breed jealousy and insecurity to new loves. The anxiety and different parenting grounds might affect this kid's mental and emotional balance and this will definitely go on into their adulthood and be a big challenge how they perceive relationships in their future.
However, if it has to involve a whole lot of drama; hospital receipts, screenshots, endless push and pulls, court cases, village admins, chiefs and sub-chiefs, it's not worth it! if you need a timetable and timeline to be in your kid's life. Just spare the poor kid your theatrics and let whomever has the kid bring them up, in their 'best interest' till the child is old enough to make their own decisions.