Search Results for: blog what is joint parenting

Things to Know About Attachment Parenting

Posted on by

Do you practice attachment parenting? This type of parenting has become somewhat controversial. Those that practice it seem happy with it. Those that don’t often choose to share their opinion that this parenting style will somehow harm children (years later). Ultimately, it is up to each parent to decide what parenting style works best for them and their kids. Attachment Parenting is a parenting style that has eight principles to it. Each parent has a lot of leeway in how they interpret those principles and how they put them into action. Prepare for pregnancy, birth, and parenting – Parents remove … Continue reading →

Mommy Blogger Takes Hit Out on Hubby

Don’t worry; it’s not one of our mommy bloggers… at least not yet. Heh. Okay, not funny. Nor is the news that a 24-year-old wife and mother to two young kids is behind bars tonight for allegedly paying someone to kill her husband. According to reports, Brittany Rachelle Martinez, an EMT and mommy blogger from Houston was caught masterminding a murder-for-hire plot that would have offed her firefighter husband. Police say Martinez offered a friend between $1,500 and $2,500 to gun down her hubby and make it look as though it was “work-related.” The Houston Chronicle claims the mom approached … Continue reading →

Single Parenting: “That’s Not the Way Mommy (Daddy) Does It”

I am sure that you have heard these phrases before…”That’s not the way Mommy does it” or “Daddy doesn’t do it like that”. For some of you who may be a little bit sensitive, this will give you a little “pinch” in your chest. I know that this is easier said than done, but try not to let it bother you. Whether you are a single parent or not, it is highly likely that this expression of honesty from your child will arise from their little, puckered up lips. It is not so bad when you are living in the … Continue reading →

Helping Kids have a Clearer Vision of both Pregnancy and Parenting

Posted on by

I’ve recently shared that statistically, as a group, teen mothers who place their babies for adoption fare better (in terms of staying in school and off the welfare rolls, and avoiding another premature pregnancy). I should also say that there are many young mothers who do a very good job of raising their babies. (To see one of our dedicated blogger’s series on being a young parent, click here.) I admit that I used to think two parents were always better than one. I now realize that being adopted does represent a loss for the baby as well as for … Continue reading →

Try to Keep Parenting and Financial Discussions Separate

I know that not all single parent families are formed by divorce or separation, but many of us do have another parent or an “ex” out there to contend with. Emotions and history can make communication and joint decision-making tough. One way to try to keep things a bit more “functional” is to keep financial and property discussions separate from discussions about parenting and child concerns. I think that money conversations can complicate just about any relationship and financial matters are definitely at the top of the list when it comes to stressful conversations we have with our child’s other … Continue reading →

Figuring Out the Best Time for Co-Parenting Discussions

Sometimes, timing is everything. While I’ve written before about how to behave like “business partners” with your child’s other parent, and some ideas for how to get your mind right for negotiations, I also think that it takes some skill to determine when is the best time to broach certain subjects and discuss everything from parenting time to school field trips. Part of the problem with getting the timing right is that we may consciously or sub-consciously get the timing WRONG–if we are still locked in arguments, battles, or power struggles with our child’s other parent, we may be purposefully … Continue reading →

Parenting Style Affects Health

How you parent your child can affect their behavior, grades, and yes even their weight. Dr. Mayer reports on a recent research study that found that “parenting style is associated with a 500% difference in the risk of childhood obesity.” I don’t know about you but 500% seems like an awful lot to me. And this percentage is completely dependant upon parenting style. There are four main parenting styles: Authoritarian – The parent decides what is best for the child and the child is expected to follow the decisions of the parents. Children are usually held to a high level … Continue reading →

The Case For Joint Custody

Recently I wrote a blog titled: The Case Against Joint Custody. I feel very strongly that joint physical custody, a legal term used to describe any number of configurations where both parents share in the physical parenting time of the children after divorce, is not a cure-all to the problems and traumas of divorce and absent fatherhood. However, there is no denying that the number of joint custody cases is on the rise. And with that comes not only situational benefits but social benefits as well Joint physical custody can be an extremely beneficial way to allow children time with … Continue reading →

What Is Joint Custody?

When parents are first embarking upon separation or divorce, they often hear the term “joint custody”. In fact, joint custody of one form or another is the norm, these days. What exactly is joint custody? Two Types of Joint Custody There are two types of joint custody: Physical and Legal. Joint Legal custody is where both parents have the joint right to share in important decisions regarding the child in the areas of education, religious upbringing and medical care. It has been the norm for the last decade or two. This was step one of the Father’s Rights crusade to … Continue reading →

The Case Against Joint Physical Custody

We’ve come a long way since we were children and mothers were routinely given full custody of the children and fathers frequently disappeared and less frequently received a standard visitation schedule of every other weekend visits. In fact, we’ve come so far that now many courts don’t call it “visitation” but more aptly, “Parenting time”. We have seen the damage done to children raised without male role models. We have learned our lessons. Now we believe that any child deserves to share as much time as possible with both parents, if they are willing. Most courts will now consider a … Continue reading →