Two-parent families

Parents Together

A strong relationship with your spouse is the bedrock of your child's family life and influences how your child will eventually relate to his own partner. But the rush of daily life, especially during the busy years of Brownie packs, soccer teams, and dance lessons, may push the adult relationship into second place. But it's important for a couple to love and support one another, so let your Saturday night date be as important as any of your children's events if it keeps your relationship strong.

In a recent national survey, parents reported that their Number One stress is finding enough time to spend with their kids. One way to increase the time you spend with your children is to involve them in the daily activities of running the home -- preparing meals, tidying up, looking after the pets, and doing the laundry. This way, the whole family becomes a team in maintaining the home front as a refuge from the rest of the hectic world.

In building a family team, it's important that the adults be co-captains. Kids between the ages of six and twelve need to know their parents are in charge. Gradually give your child more and more independence and opportunities to make her own decisions. Although your role is to eventually do yourself out of a job, make it a slow and steady process.

Parenting is best handled as a team effort, not just because it helps to share this major responsibility, but because men and women bring different influences to the family and affect their children's development in different ways. Children tend to do better when they're exposed to both parenting styles, as the research reveals.