While being married can be a challenge, raising a child with your partner can bring a whole new and challenging adventure. Especially if you and your partner have different ideas on the best ways to raise a child, it can be hard to find a balance where you both feel like you’re doing what’s right and in the best interest of your family.
One way to resolve this issue is to come up with a parenting style that both of you can get behind. To help you come up with something like this, here are three tips for creating a parenting style as a couple.
Make A High-Level Plan
The first thing you should do when trying to come up with a parenting style with your partner is to make a high-level plan on what you want or envision for your family.
According to Pam Myers, a contributor to the Child Development Institute, part of this process should be writing out a parenting mission statement. In this mission statement, you should nail down what’s important to your family and what your priorities are. Then, as you strive to think about what you think will be best for your children, you can go back to this high-level plan and think about how your actions will best support and work toward the goals you’ve laid out together.
Come Up With Rules You Both Agree On
While you and your partner may have different ideas about how exactly you should be raising your children or guiding them through life, there likely are at least some things that you can agree on. In these instances, it makes sense to create rules that you can adhere to and enforce together.
According to Marni Feuerman, a contributor to Very Well Family, these rules might involve things like bedtime, the use of electronics, asking for permission about certain things, trying foods, chores, and more. Wherever you can find common ground with your partner, be sure you can also find rules that you both agree on for your children and commit to enforcing.
Maintain A United Front
In all parenting situations, there may come a time where you and your partner don’t agree with each other on how to react or respond to your children. And although this can cause some tension between the two of you, Lisa Kadane, a contributor to Today’s Parent, recommends that you always maintain a united front in front of your children. If you need to address this issue with each other, make sure you do so behind closed doors so your children don’t try to take advantage of any rift in your parenting styles.
If you and your partner are having trouble agreeing on how to parent your children, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you come to a parenting style you both can get behind.
Leave a Reply