Respect
If you have children, you must have respect for one another. Although you have both had your hearts broken, you do not need to bring the children into it by saying things about your ex. They don't need to hear why you hate their daddy or why you think their mommy is lazy. Children deserve the love of both parents and they don't deserve to be placed in the middle of a drawn-out argument that never seems to end. Have respect for each other and focus your energy and love on the children.

Living Arrangements
There are a number of divorced couples that choose to still live close to one another as they like to be close to their children. If you choose living arrangements where you are close to your spouse, you have to understand what this will do your dating life and your emotions. Running into your spouse is going to happen and it may happen more often than you'd hope. Some couples that are still friends don't mind running into their ex and they can even have playdates and picnics together. Just know that when you are ready for a new relationship, the closeness you have with your ex may be frustrating to your new partner.

Take time for Yourself
Initially you need to be away from your ex for awhile. Even if you have children, you need to have some space where you can get in touch with yourself again. Arrange for a close friend to handle dropping off and picking up the kids from both homes for a week or so while you take some time to try and heal your heart. A lot of people take time to go away on a guy's weekend or girl's weekend where you can just be with your friends and to try and find yourself again. Just watch out for the emotions that are going to come and can force you to make some decisions that aren't great like sleeping with someone you met at the bar. Going on a couple of dates is nice because it will give you a chance to build-up your confidence again and to know that you are attractive to the opposite sex.

Balance
You are no longer going to be a full-time parent. Even if you have full custody, your ex will have times when they take the children for the night or weekend. This can leave you alone and vulnerable. You need to learn how to find the balance in your new life. What are some hobbies and things that you like to do and can you add them into your life when you don't have your kids so you won't be alone and bored? You don't want to leave yourself open to sitting around alone and without any hobbies to do because your emotions can eat away at you.

Talk it out
While you can't really talk to your ex anymore about your emotions, you need to talk to someone. Hiring a therapist is a great idea because they can be a great outlet for you. You need to have someone that will listen even if they don't offer you any advice, it's nice to have another person to talk to sometimes. If you don't talk to anyone, you will find that your emotions will eventually run over and cause you to be absolutely miserable. It can also leave you vulnerable to fits of anger and depression.