Can a couple with children still work as a parenting team, once their own couple relationship is over? Clearly there are a lot of muddy areas, concerning the couple relationship (which has finished) and the parenting relationship (which is on going). Where does one end, and the other begin? This is such an important thing to think about- post separation, but also over the years to come. The kids are entitled to have the parents still operating as a parenting team- it is not their fault that their  parents could not work out issues from their couple relationship. Yet many parents will not see this, will now suddenly see themselves as being the better parent, even though they may have had no real concerns about the quality of input from the their former partner, when they were still together . 


We can understand that in the early months immediately post-separation, parents will be very pre-occupied with their own responses to the finishing of their relationship. Yet kids at this time, more than ever, need parents who are working together, and who are understanding that they too are going through some major re-adjustments. Kids have two parents for many reasons- and so long as both of those parents are living and breathing (albeit under separate rooves), they need to be able to put aside their own residual relationship issues and give their children the cohesive and collaborative type of parenting that they need....