Ever heard the quote “Adulthood is about surviving childhood”? For many of us, no truer words have been spoken! No family is perfect and all of us have picked up

some good and not-so-good things that were modeled to us by our parents (or whomever raised us). To assume that something should be done with your own kids based on

“That’s how we did it in my home” is not the best approach. Talk together about what you appreciated and disliked when you were growing up. Keep the good. Toss

out the rest.

If you trusted your partner enough to make a baby with them, you should trust them to raise your child. So minor stuff? Don’t worry about it. But when it

comes to major decisions like disciplining and later up the road, education, friends, dating, etc., make those decisions together. Even something like when to get your child a cell phone

should be talked about beforehand. Basically anything that will affect your child in the long-term, that needs to be mulled over as a couple. First.

No one likes to be caught in the middle of an argument. It’s stressful and unsettling. Especially for children. Your child doesn’t need to be under the illusion that everything

is always roses and sunshine between the two of you. But don’t take it to the other extreme by making them believe that love equates fighting and problems either. If

there’s a discussion that needs to be had, even about them, that you feel is going to become a heated debate, go for a walk together after dinner or discuss it

when your child is not around. By the way, waiting until they are asleep is not the best idea, simply because sometimes…they’re not.

Sometimes, we can be so caught up in how to get to our destination that we lose sight of the goals themselves. What do you want for your child? To

be healthy? To be happy? To feel loved? To grow up to be independent and confident? If those are the goals, agree on what you can both do to make

that happen. Keep in mind, there is no “one way” or even “right way” to these things. Compromise. It will keep peace between the two of you and provide a

nurturing environment for your child too.

Some people think that children should come before their relationship with one another. We don’t. Studies cite that when parents are emotionally in sync, children are automatically happier. Don’t be

so focused on how you think your child should be raised that it puts the two of you at odds with one another. At the end of the day, you

love one another and you’re on the same team. Agreement and peace are the keys to a well-developed the child. The aim of all good parents!