Brittany Cartwright Says ‘Healthy Co-Parenting Relationship’ with Jax Taylor ‘Will Take Some Time’ (Exclusive)

Brittany Cartwright is open to co-parenting with estranged husband Jax Taylor – but it’s going to take some work.

Speaking to PEOPLE about her partnership with AirSculpt, The Valley star, 35, shared that although the two are prioritizing their 3-year-old son Cruz, they still have some work to do when it comes to their co-parenting relationship.

“He’s a great dad. Great dad, terrible husband,” Cartwright tells PEOPLE. “I’m not ever going to take Cruz away from him. We will always put Cruz first and we are going to work towards a healthy co-parenting relationship.”

“It’s going to take some time. Still, things are very raw between us, but for the most part, I do know if I needed something, if Cruz needed something, I could call him and he would be there for us.”

On Tuesday, Aug. 27, Cartwright, 35, filed for divorce from her husband of five years, requesting primary legal and physical custody of the former couple’s son Cruz. Shortly after news of the divorce broke, a source told PEOPLE that Cartwright’s focus is on her son as she and Taylor strive to become friendly co-parents.

“This step has been a long time coming and something Brittany knew she had to do for the best interest of herself and her son in order to move forward and put a stop to this tumultuous cycle they’ve been living in,” said the source.

“Jax is feeling mixed emotions. He knows this is ultimately the right decision but is sad that things ended up the way they have. It’s an emotional month for him and he’s trying to stay strong for his son.”

As Taylor and Cartwright headed into the next few months, the source said they’re prioritizing their co-parenting relationship.

“Their main priority is getting to a place of being amicable co-parents for their son and this next stop will hopefully move them closer to that goal,” they said.

In February, Cartwright shared that she and Taylor were going to “take some time apart” on an episode of their shared podcast When Reality Hits.

“I know on my last podcast, I alluded to many marriages go through rocky times,” she explained. “Yes, marriages in general are very hard and I’ve had a particularly rough year this past year. Jax and I are taking time apart and I made the decision to move into another home to take some space for the sake of my mental health.”

The Valley star also shared on the podcast that the breakup was “still very hard to talk about.”

“I’m taking one day at a time,” she said. “I don’t know what the future holds, but right now my focus is on being the best mom to Cruz.”