Tuesday, July 5, 2016

SEPARATED PARENTS WHO LOVE THEIR CHILDREN BUT CAN’T AGREE

Parents who love their children will always put their children first. Won't they?

What if they are separated and don't like each other very much? That shouldn't make a difference should it?

What if they both think they are putting their children first, but disagree on what represents best parenting in a particular situation?

I’m reminded of a separated couple who disagreed on what school their little girl should attend, with the outcome that each tried to enroll her at a different school and the schools quite properly both refused to accept the enrolments because the parents had "equal shared parental responsibility" for their child so needed to agree on this issue.  Ultimately, the Family Court had to decide where their daughter would attend Prep.

The problem for this little girl was that she missed that exciting first day of school that many of us remember well into adulthood. She started school ten days late without friends she had made at daycare. 

Unless separated parents are able to develop strategies to assist them in co-parenting their children, the children's futures risk being fraught with difficulties and they may suffer negative psychological impacts.

Help is at hand in the form of post separation parent training programs and child focused mediation to assist parents caught in the blaming culture of separation conflict to accept their separated status and responsibilities as parents and to move on in a cooperative manner - even if for no other reason than to give their children the best possible chance of growing up as healthy adults who achieve their full potential.

Mike Emerson, Mediator

For further information regarding our mediation services call 07 3839 7400 or email resolve@brisbanemediaitons.com.au




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