Place the Focus on the Kids When It Comes to Children and Divorce When I talk with parents about children and divorce, the first thing they usually want to discuss is how they can protect their children during the process. The most valuable advice I can give is to minimize conflict and to ensure that [...]
Co-parenting after a divorce is like learning a new dance. You’ve been parenting with your spouse for your child’s entire life and now it’s completely different. One home becomes two. There are new routines and new relationships to manage. You and your co-parent make take very different approaches on how to handle these changes, and [...]
It’s easy to say, “I want my kids to know how to make decisions for themselves”, but it is often much harder to give up that control in the moment. When we focus on the long-term goals of raising kids to be healthy, happy and productive adults, it’s obvious that learning to make decisions is [...]
Co-parenting is challenging throughout the year, but the expectations of the holidays make these times even more challenging. The holidays are marketed as a time for family connection and happiness, but for so many families it can be filled with stress and difficult emotions. Here are some tips to help you navigate the holiday season [...]
I saw a story on the Today Show about a mom that had “cancelled” Christmas in response to the entitled attitude she saw from her kids. While that approach may be a bit severe, most parents I know struggle to balance their desire to give their kids a good experience with their desire to avoid [...]
The term “parallel co-parenting” comes from the child-development phase called “parallel play”. Picture your toddler sitting next to another toddler, both playing with blocks but having no interaction. There is no interaction until the other toddler tries to take his blocks. Parallel co-parenting developed as a way for parents—particularly those in high-conflict divorces—to focus their [...]
Schedules for divorced families get more complicated during the school year. While this is true of all families, divorced families have an added layer of complexity. For these families, here are some tips for managing that complexity to minimize stress and to help get your kids off to a great start.1. Review the School CalendarParents [...]
Summer often feels financially overwhelming to parents because the cost of activities, camps and vacations can be expensive. Whether you are a working mom or you stay at home, here are some suggestions for free experiences that will enrich your child’s life: • Time together. Parents, especially of teens, often underestimate how much their children [...]
In our increasingly multi-cultural society, marriages involving couples of different religions or couples where one person is religious and the other is agnostic or atheist have become more common. While many of these marriages work, the incidence of divorce among interfaith couples is higher than the rate for same-faith marriages. When interfaith marriages dissolve, navigating [...]
It’s easy to find websites devoted to expensive and elaborate ways to keep your children entertained over the summer. I want to encourage you to embrace the boredom because it’s actually good for your kids! A while ago, I blogged about a study that showed how many adults would prefer an electrical shock to being [...]
