parenting

What is domestic abuse?

The government definition of domestic abuse is “any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive, threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between those aged 16 or over who are, or have been, intimate partners or family members regardless of gender or sexuality. The abuse can include, but is not limited to: psychological, physical, sexual, financial and emotional.”

Whatever route you choose to take to address your co-parenting issues you may come across ‘legal jargon’ which can appear unfamiliar and confusing. Set out below are some of the key definitions to help you along your way.

You may reach a point in your co-parenting journey whereby you need to give consideration to your legal position as a parent and what steps you need to take.

Even though you have decided to separate, you are still both parents. Children can cope well through a separation if their parents manage it well and find ways to reduce conflict and maintain good quality access to the family.

When co-parenting works well, it means your child is held in a safe parental bubble and can grow up with a good attitude towards relationships. A good co-parenting relationship can really enhance a child’s life.

Most families experience changes and events along the parenting journey that may pose challenges and, sometimes, difficulties. While some of these changes may happen soon after separation, on other occasions such events only arise some years after separation or divorce.

In many families, children enjoy a valuable and close relationship with extended members of their family including Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles and cousins. These close and special relationships can be invaluable in helping your children cope with the trauma of not only your separation but they may also form an integral part of your child’s support system, something that you should hopefully wish to maintain.

In many families, children enjoy a valuable and close relationship with extended members of their family including Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles and cousins. These close and special relationships can be invaluable in helping your children cope with the trauma of not only your separation but they may also form an integral part of your child’s support system, something that you should hopefully wish to maintain.

One of the hardest things to navigate is knowing when it is appropriate to bring your child’s voice into decision making and when to keep them secure by making decisions as their parents.

Once you decide to separate, along with the many decisions you will both be making, there will be a big change in your parenting role.
You are becoming Co-parents.

Family separation is tough; the ride can be bumpy and it will take some time to get things sorted out.

Deciding to end a relationship is a complex and difficult process and is not arrived at easily. Equally being told your relationship is at an end, is often a shocking and emotionally traumatic event.
It is common for those leaving and for those being left, to experience similar feelings despite how it might look on the outside.

Two members of the Parenting After Parting Committee share their stories.

We are privileged to introduce this guide for parents who are separating. Bringing up children after separation is truly one of the hardest things. We want to share our stories with you in the hope that they might help you choose to keep persevering to bring up your children together as co-parents, even though you are no longer in a relationship together.

Becoming a separated parent is not something you may have anticipated. It is challenging in so many ways and can be very daunting.

This guide aims to give parents access to information and support that helps them throughout their parenting journey, through separation, divorce and beyond.

Although it was the graveyard slot at the very end of an amazing week at the National Resolution ...

In this workshop a panel of Alex Verdan QC, Charlotte Bradley and Dr Mark Berelowitz, chaired by ...

In the second of a two-part article on how grandparents can be brought into when parental issues ...

A number of websites and apps help separated parents share information about their children’s needs and plan anything from diaries to mealtimes. Many also have built-in recording of conversations and tools to help reduce conflict in the co-parenting space. As these are now sometimes court-ordered, practitioners are advised to have at least a basic knowledge of what the different options offer.

The charity OnePlusOne has five decades of research into family breakdown and has developed model...

This article tries to answer some of the questions now faced by separated parents worried about h...

In these difficult times arrangements in nearly every aspect of life are changing rapidly. This will include living and contact arrangements for the children of separated parents. If possible, parents will need to work together to agree necessary changes.

This one day training course by Adele Ballantyne explores the insights from relationship psychology, for family lawyers and other professionals into divorce and separation. Both in terms of how divorce and separation impacts on clients and on family professionals themselves.

The Parenting After Parting Committee has developed a number of resources to support members work...

In this podcast, Denise Ingamells, Head of London SPIPs at RCJ Advice, and Marc Etherington from Resolution’s Parenting After Parting Committee, discuss how the Separated Parents Information Programme works.

In this audio recording of their workshop, Gillian Bishop and Felicity Shedden, explore how paren...

With the help of the Parenting after Parenting Committee we have put together this guidance to he...

This online course will equip you with the essential skills you need to ensure that you can provi...

Children will react in different ways to the divorce. Some will be angry, hurt or upset, some may show no reaction at all. In families where there has been a great deal of fighting between parents, children may even feel relieved. They need to know that this is normal. Below we look at the common emotions children might experience and how you can help support them through this time.

When parents split up the questions about where the children will live and how will each parent get to spend time with them will naturally arise.

It is important to keep your children informed about what you are planning and listen to their opinions too. Relate has some useful resources to help you plan living arrangements with your children.

The rest of this section looks at how to manage more trying situations, such as if one parent has to move away or if there is difficulty in keeping in contact with your children.

If you are thinking about divorce or separation, one of your biggest worries is likely to be about your children: where they will live and how they will continue to have a meaningful relationship with both of you.

For children, being able to spend time with both of their parents is important. As difficult as it may seem at first, managing to successfully parent across two homes is achievable.

While your relationship with your partner has ended, your role as a parent has not. As you move on with life after your divorce, you and your ex will need to manage your relationship as separated parents.

Conflict is damaging, especially conflict happening between the two people your children love best in the world.

Our Parenting Charter sets out what children should be able to expect from their parents if they are separating and what separating parents need to do in the interests of their children. At times of family difficulty, it is easy for adults to forget what it is like to be a child, distracted as they may be by feelings of hurt and fear for the future.

Recognising your feelings will allow you to better support your children. Understand how anger, denial and depression can affect you and how you can manage them.

The Guides to Good Practice build on the Code of Practice by developing the ethos behind it into ...

While you may not have a tremendous amount of respect for your ex as a person, you can talk to them respectfully as the parent of your children.

The Parenting After Parting Committee develops the Resolution approach for practitioners working with parents so that, ultimately, parents will receive the same standard of care and support from any Resolution practitioner

Our Good Divorce Week 2018 was a huge success. The week focused on how separating parents could minimise the impact of conflict on their children from divorce or separation. The campaign had a number of highlights, many thanks to all those who supported it.

Resolution urges government to reform divorce law as soon as possible, during the annual Good Divorce Week 2019.