Fatherhood can be a daunting task, but building a strong partnership with the mom of your child can make it easier. Whether you’re married, separated, or divorced, creating a positive co-parenting relationship with your child’s mother is essential for your child’s development and well-being.
Over the years there are a few themes I have kept coming back to because I think they are so important. One of them is “the motherload.” That’s the somewhat intangible (and to men, sometimes invisible) load of responsibility, care, worry, planning and keeping track that usually falls on mothers’ shoulders.
When children have fathers who respect and support their mothers, and mothers who respect their fathers – everyone benefits. Moms are more patient and sensitive. Dads are more involved and confident. Working together helps children thrive.
When kids misbehave, act out or refuse to listen, yelling may feel like the most instinctive thing to do, but yelling at kids has been shown to have detrimental short and long-term psychological effects on children.
In the third and final post of this series I share the most important lesson I’ve learned, and how it changed our family.
