Parenting in Unity

To achieve success in any new venture one could agree that building relationships is half the battle. As a young woman entering into motherhood it never occurred to me that children would be the first battle in my relationship with my husband. How shocking for me when our 6 week old baby had his first ear infection and my husband said I had the air conditioning on too high.

Of course I took this very personally, having never experienced caring for a new life. It wouldn’t take much in those days to wipe out my confidence with a single sentence. There is good news though, as I believe there is always good news. With proper communication, sincere common interest in raising children, and a whole lot of love, 2 people can come together and bring harmony to parenting.

Here are some practical tips just to get you started:

• There will be times when one of you will have better insight into a situation than the other. Have faith that they can handle it and allow them to “parent”. Anything you might want to add or change can be discussed later away from  “little ears”.
• Think about how you were raised. Chances are you are either parenting the same way you were brought up or you have moved to an opposite extreme of thinking. I like to always point out that we need to “know who we are” and where we came from so we “know who we are working with.”
• Remember that even if within the same religious or cultural background, you still come from different families. Let’s be determined to understand that and recognize we all have our strengths and weaknesses.
• If you do find yourself arguing and the children are around, be sure they are present when you make amends. We need to teach children about forgiveness.
• Learn about teaching children through creative consequences and then be committed to working together. Let’s lift each other up rather than seeking to pull the other down.
• Role model hope, role model empathy, role model forgiveness. Believe that all things are possible, walk in your partner’s shoes, and whether still together or apart forgive one another.

Parenting in unity is the foundation from where your children will grow.