Mar 17, 2021
Do you feel like you and your ex treat parenting as a competitive sport?
Nurturing and supporting children while going through a divorce can be difficult, but creating mutual understanding and respect between us and the other parent is critical for a peaceful transition from one household to two.
What does the ideal co-parenting situation look like? Who should have the final say in where and how our children live?
Before we’re able to create a plan that works for all members of the family, it’s important to agree upon and define what co-parenting looks like to everyone involved.
In this episode, Karen Bonnell discusses her nearly 30 years of experience helping families transition into co-parenting plans that cultivate child-centered parenting.
Three Things You’ll Love About This Episode:
- Understand the true definition of co-parenting
- While getting along is always ideal, co-parenting focuses on respect, clarity, and mutual understanding.
- Parenting doesn’t have to feel like a
competition
- It’s important to teach our children to communicate their needs to both parents and to avoid leaning into behaviors that establish an “alliance” attitude.
- Taking time to learn how to solo parent is normal - and
encouraged
- It’s okay to give ourselves a little room to learn how to navigate parenting on our own terms. Part of co-parenting is having confidence in our own decisions and empowering our children to make their needs known. Those skills don’t evolve overnight and might take a little practice - time is essential to mastery.
A graduate of the University of Michigan, Karen has been
board-certified and licensed as an Advanced Registered Nurse
Practitioner since 1982 and served on the faculty of University of
Michigan, Eastern Michigan University & Seattle Pacific University
before beginning full-time private practice in 1984.
Karen’s work as a Collaborative Divorce Coach spurred her
determination to write “The Co-Parenting
Handbook” “ with Kristin Little, Child Specialist.
Parents learn the best ways to support their children, strengthen
their co-parenting, and discover the necessary tools to skillfully
create a two-home family.
Karen also created “The Parenting Plan
Workbook” with contributor Felicia Malsby Soleil, JD to
provide valuable access to the mechanics behind writing a strong,
child-centered parenting plan.
And most recently, Karen and Patricia Papernow (PAP-ER-NOW), PhD
released the newest handbook for parents ready to date and hoping
to one day successfully create a stepfamily, “The Stepfamily Handbook:
From Dating, to Getting Serious, to Forming a ‘Blended
Family’”.
Her deep listening skills make all the difference working with
co-parent pairs in conflict as they find their way through the pain
of divorce into a future with optimism.
Karen's website: CoachMediateConsult.com (she has two free downloads there)
Twitter.com/Karenbonnellcmc
linkedin.com/in/karenbonnell/
facebook.com/karenbonnellcmc