Deesha Philyaw's Blog, page 3

Co-Parents' Best Advice: How Do You Handle Your Kids' Disappointment?

photo by Anissa Thompson

It's an unfortunately common co-parenting scenario: A child is disappointed because of a missed outing, missed parenting time, or other unkept promise made by one parent, while in the care of the other parent. If you're the one parenting the disappointed child at that moment...how do you handle it?

We asked this question as yesterday's Co-Parenting Question of the Day, on Facebook and on Twitter. Co-parents shared a variety of responses with us; a few of them are liste...

Co-Parents May Face Kinder, Gentler Family Courts in Indiana

"Divorces, other family crises take more civil tone through project launched in 22 counties"

VALPARAISO, Indiana — Nearly 15 years after the Indiana Supreme Court launched its Family Court Project, 22 counties — including Lake and Porter — are working toward a kinder, gentler, more holistic way to resolve family crises, court officials say.

"Family law cases are different than most cases," said Merrillville attorney Debra Dubovich, head of the Family Law section of the Lake County Bar Associati...

Co-Parenting Question of the Week: "How Do You Handle Social Media?"

[image error]Yesterday, Deesha taped a segment for our local PBS station as part of a parent panel discussion of tweens, teens, and social media. During the conversation, the moderator raised the question of how to keep kids' safe and appropriate online given that they have access to the Internet at friends' houses and other places where you as a parent cannot monitor. Deesha noted that this is a concern for co-parents in particular, when there are the rules and expectations related to social media are si...

Quote of the Week: "I Doubt My Ex and I Will Ever Be Cordial..."

photo by ilker

"I doubt my ex and I will ever be cordial. However, I do continue to try. By doing so, I can teach our daughters how to better handle people who frustrate them."

--Lara, a mom making lemonade out of co-parenting "lemons"

When you've tried to communnicate and cooperate with your ex to no avail, or when substance abuse, mental illness, or domestic violence is a factor in your co-parenting situation, you may feel powerless to protect your children from the emotional distress and othe...

Parental Alienation & A Child's Intense Fear Reaction

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photo credit: doriana s

A recent article from Charles D. Jamieson, a Palm Beach County family law and divorce attorney, sheds some light on one of four contributing factors to parental alienation: a child's intense fear reaction.

It may be difficult to understand how one parent can effect such a fear reaction in a child unless one remembers the essential human need for connection. The child begins to see the non-custodial parent as having abandoned him and surmises that if he disappoints the cu...

Is Your Co-Parent Vindictive?

Friend of Co-Parenting 101, Dr. Leah Klungness, is the coauthor of the award-winning bookThe Complete Single Mother: Third Edition. Dr. Leahearned her doctorate and license as a psychologist while single parenting her two young children. Anexperienced psychologist and elementary school teacher, Dr. Leah is a sought-after commentator in media such as Redbook, Working Mother,The New York Times, TheBoston Globe,Newsday,Men’s Health, and CNN, and shehas appeared on Good Morning, America and other...

Co-Parenting When The Unthinkable Happens

Kids are on vacation with the ex in Florida. Just found out that their suite was 1 that fell into the sinkhole. They're fine, but scared me.

— Charles M. Blow (@CharlesMBlow) August 13, 2013

Even though the kids were fine, my heart sank a little when I read this tweet by NYT's journalist Charles Blow on Twitter last night. I could easily imagine what he felt when he got this news because Mike recently took our kids on vacation and thoughts of Something Happening While They Were Away From Me did...

Co-Parenting ABCs for Back-to-School & All Year Long

It’s back to school time, and this week, we’re pleased to welcome Ashley Harper to the"Co-Parenting Matters" show as our guest. Ashley is the Lower School Director at Winchester Thurston School in Pittsburgh, and she's the mom of a 2nd grader & a 12th grader. Ashely will share some back-to-school basics--how co-parents can help their kids get off to a good start---and she’ll discuss ways co-parents, teachers and administrators can partner to enable kids to thrive at all year long So whether y...

Co-Parenting and After School Care

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The following content has been compensated as part of an Early Childhood Program promotion for Pittsburgh Public Schools. However, all opinions remain my own.

As summer winds down, our co-parenting family is slowly, reluctantly entering back-to-school season. For us this means talk of new school clothes, making lists of must-have school supplies, gearing up for high school and pre-season sports practices, and wondering what the brand-new 4th grader teacher will be like. For many co-parenting f...

Co-Parenting With An Uncooperative Ex: Interview on MommyNoire

By Heather Hopson of Diary of a First Time Mom:

Recently, Isat downwith Deesha Philyaw, co-author ofCo-parenting 101: Helping Kids Thrive in Two Households After Divorce.I must admit, at first I was cynical. She actually gets along with her ex. I’m not talking, small-talk, exchange Father’s and Mother’s Day cards. It’s more like, let’s blend this family on vacations, at birthday parties and in business. I pictured past Brady Bunch episodes. I wanted to know how to deal with someone who’s diffi...