Children learn from what they see. If they are living with parents who have a lot of conflict, they will learn to have high levels of conflict. If they live with parents who negotiate well together and arrive at decisions in a cooperative fashion, they learn to problem solve well, even when they don’t agree.
Children who are exposed to high levels of parental conflict can have difficulty forming healthy relationships, and they may turn to other supports outside of the family for safe haven. If they are not prepared to make healthy choices because of a high-conflict home environment, they are likelier to have problems at school, to engage in substance use, and to engage in sexual activity at an earlier age.
Co-Parenting classes are designed to sensitize parents to the effects of their conflict on their children, especially its long-term effects, and to enable them to develop the tools to manage their anger and diffuse conflict. We work with parents who live together but have high-conflict relationships, as well as parents who live separately.
Co-parenting education can help parents provide their children with a more stable and supportive environment in which conflict is reduced and continuity is reinforced between the two homes. Co-parenting education can help parents guide their children on how to maintain stable, consistent, and healthy relationships with their family, extended family, and peers, making the seeking of less healthy relationships less necessary. Living Apart,
Parenting Together teaches parents about the effects of their hostility on their children, and about the detriment of having to choose to love one parent or prefer one household over the other.
Classes are offered throughout the year. Call Patty Nierling at 234-7600 to enroll in a class today.
