Tips for Parents
Parenting with a United Front
Parenting may be one of the toughest jobs in the world. One of the challenges of raising children is parenting with a united front with your spouse or partner. Why? People are different. Everyone has different backgrounds, needs, behaviors, and parenting styles. If your daughter says she will be in at 9 o’clock in the evening but does not come in until 10 o’clock, do you and your partner agree on a consequence, if any? When caregivers form a united front, children get the consistency they need. Lack of consistency from parents can lead to children feeling confused about expectations, and having problems linking a ’cause’ with the resulting effect. If your son knows that when he does this the cause, then that the effect or consequence will happen, no matter who is home or under what conditions, he is more likely to make wise choices.
A Family Guide to Keeping Youth Mentally Healthy & Drug Free