It is not uncommon for a couple to have disagreements over parenting. Therefore, it is not bad when we have arguments with our respective spouses about anything from the baby’s nap schedule, toilet training, and timeouts to homework requirements, social media usage, and dating. When children are first introduced, almost every partnership encounters a particular set of difficulties.
And that is absolutely OK!
Do all of us share the exact same emotions, concerns, expectations, and parenting styles? We don’t, unfortunately. Hence, it wouldn’t be reasonable to expect to act consistently as a unit in front of the children.
But although these parenting disagreements are normal, it is very important to address them. On a side note, it is also essential that the couple talks about about their parenting techniques before deciding to have children together. But even if they didn’t, it’s not too late to begin. Having a conversation with spouses about their parenting beliefs, talking about their respective upbringing, what would they want to emulate, and what would they want to do differently from their own parents can be a much better way to understand the parental conflict between the two.
Also, when making decisions, the couple should avoid disparaging one another. That is, although one of them may have a different opinion, the other should try to nonetheless support the said decision and viceversa. It wouldn’t be reasonable to consistently question their ability to be a good parent to the kids. In situations like these, support is more important than unity and thus, it is preferable to communicate honestly.
Ultimately, family counselling and couple therapy can also be useful when other tactics fail. It might help both the parents understand one another better. Additionally, it may assist with the child’s difficult behaviour. Couples can then learn about the causes of their parenting style conflicts and work on it to effectively resolve them and raise their children in a less conflicting way.