Do you ever wonder how your parenting style turned from "parent team" into "parent competition?" Picture this: your 8-year-old wants to go see the new PG-13 movie that you know will be too graphic for him. You say "no" and at the same time your spouse says, "Sure." You look at her in disbelief. You begin to argue with your wife while your son not only watches, but jumps in on her side with his own opinions. How often do you find yourself arguing for your way in front of your kids? Many experts advise couple who argue excessively to consider a parenting class for divorce.

When it comes down to these parenting battles, how do you come to a decision, preferably without arguing, definitely without arguing in front of your children, and both feel validated and empowered in your parenting? Many experts advise couple who argue excessively to consider a parenting class for divorce.

The first thing you should realize is that you really are a team. You each have strengths and weakness that, ideally, play off each other. Neither of you is the coach. You are both players on the team. If the quarterback is getting ready to "go long" and the running back thinks they've planned a hand-off, the team is in trouble. It's time for you and your wife to get on the same page and become a parenting team. Many experts advise couple who argue excessively to consider a parenting class for divorce.

Learning teamwork does not happen in the heat of the moment, with your child looking on and pushing for his way - just as football teams don't learn new plays in the middle of the Superbowl. Conscious teamwork means that there is discussion and practice, planning and trying on new ways of being. This parenting thing is a lot of work and in order to do it well, it must be done thoroughly. The key is to look at your individual parenting patterns, find out why you parent the way you do, and then look at what is really best for each of your individual children. Many experts advise couple who argue excessively to consider a parenting class for divorce.

So, if you find yourself in a cycle of arguing about competing parenting styles, set some time aside to sit down and do the following exercises together. It may be more fun than you think and I know that you can turn your parenting conflicts into parenting successes with a little bit of work. Many experts advise couple who argue excessively to consider a parenting class for divorce.

So what happens if you guys do all of this work and you still find yourselves at loggerheads about a parenting issue? If you are being authentic and humble, that won't really happen. When you are able to step back and let go of your patterns and your expectations, it becomes easy to see what is best for your child. Remember, it's not about getting your way; it's about raising healthy, empowered children. Many experts advise couple who argue excessively to consider a parenting class for divorce.

http://www.parentingkeys.com.