Shared Parenting: Beyond the Great Divide
The Twenty Essential Co-parenting Tasks for Raising Children in Two Homes
by
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A few weeks ago, a mother came into my office and said the parents who saw me the previous hour were very angry after their session the previous week, scowling, slamming doors, and screeching out of the driveway. She even noted that the recently divorced couple was not properly attentive to the office therapy dog. This week, she said, those parents stood outside the door talking for a while, were actually laughing, and drove off in their separate cars, quite sedately. And they both petted the therapy dog on the way out. She asked when she and her ex would be able to do that.
She was a stock broker and I couldn't resist saying that past performance was no indicator of today's success. But she and her ex returned to see me anyway. After the fourth session she and the father told me they were talking to each other with respect, humor, and, of course, showing proper attention to the therapy dog.
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About the Book
It is a challenge for parents to raise children in one home even when everyone is getting along. After a divorce—when all the mediators, attorneys, evaluators, and judges have moved on to other families—parents are left with the most difficult task of all: moving past their own conflicts and learning to raise their child in two homes.
Divorced parents often begin with the best of intentions, seeking to protect their children from hurt; even so, they often feel overwhelmed with the seemingly complex array of tasks and decisions that must be made after the dissolution of a marriage. Dr. Frank Leek is an experienced clinical and forensic psychologist (Now retired) who relies on his years of experience working with divorcing and divorced parents to offer parents twenty essential co-parenting tasks that encourage joint decisions, conflict reduction, and a focus on the well-being of children. While guiding parents through a process that often tests emotion and patience, Leek shares practical advice that helps parents effectively deal with the initial transition and the often complicated issues that follow.
The insight offered in Shared Parenting: Beyond the Great Divide leads divorcing parents on a healing journey where they learn to communicate effectively, share parenting responsibilities, and find workable systems that encourage a peaceful future for everyone.
About the Author
Frank Leek earned his PhD from the University of Kansas. He is a clinical and forensic psychologist who has worked with divorced and divorcing parents for more than twenty years. He currently lives in California, with his wife, Carol N. Greenfield.