Parenting Together

Week 1
Never undermine your partners parenting authority in front of the children. This invites conflict. In doing this you are saying to your child that your partner is not a good parent and can’t make decisions that are good for the child. Wait and discuss it later when the children are sleeping.

Week 2
Take turns cooking meals. By doing this you are giving your partner a break from the daily cooking chore and showing your child that cooking is not a “mom’s job.” Besides, you might cook up something the kids LOVE, and kid’s love to help Dad grill out.

Week 3
Start a family ritual. Kid’s love pizza. Make Friday night pizza and game night. Play a game of “Sorry!!” or “Chutes and Ladders”. Have a family fun night each week. This helps the family to stay involved in each other’s lives and to touch base on each individual’s current life events.

Week 4
Establish a routine and stick to it. Kids need routines to thrive and grow. It allows them a sense of control over their environment. This is especially good in helping set boundaries with young teens. The earlier a routine is established in the child’s life, the easier it is to enforce into the teen years.

Week 5
Establish appropriate family rules together. Similar expectations from both parents help children learn respect for self, others, and property. Talk with your partner about rules suitable for each child. Remember that a rule that is appropriate for a 10 year old, may not fit for a 15 year old. Curfew’s and telephone rules are good examples of this.