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live faith the importance of parental
unity
and teamwork by dr. mark crosby lpc; lmft c hild psychologist dr. james dobson said, ?
parenting
isn?t for cowards.? as a marriage and family therapist, i agree, and i would add that
parenting
isn?t a competition, but it is for a mom and dad who aren?t united as a team. whenever parents are in competition to be the more popular, fun, or progressive parent, the potential for division and dissonance between them becomes greater. we read in scripture that jesus said, ?a house divided cannot stand,? mark 3:35. when you recognize that children need both parents to give them the insight needed to
create
coping skills, you and your spouse begin to unite as a team. when this happens, your child can form relationships, confidence, and the attributes needed to succeed. the strength of your
unity
is what impacts the overall well-being of your child, and the
unity
is reflected in the
parenting
style. when you work as a team, you have greater insight, better ideas, and more rational solutions. these parental attributes become more important as your child gets older. as the challenges become greater, your child may seek to divide and conquer the family to get what he/she wants. these ploys can
create
problems. one helpful sequence of relational
unity
is to begin with god and his word. discover what the bible says about what it means to have a relationship with god. next, insure that you and your spouse share the love and respect needed to
create
unity
, and then, focus on
parenting
your children without the competition. you and your spouse shouldn?t choose between
parenting
and marriage, but instead, recognize the importance of
unity
and specialization that each of you have. due to the many stressors, irritations, and complaints you endure while raising children, teamwork and marital harmony are essential to
create
the love and respect needed to meet
parenting
challenges. a principle to hold to is to believe the best rather than assume the worst. it should be our goal to demonstrate
unity
and teamwork, so we can raise happy children. ? photo credit: brittany bruce photography 3 6 b r p a r e n t s . c o m | j u l y 2 0 1 9
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