Divorce & Co-parenting Support

When we become parents, the meaning behind "parenting is the hardest but most rewarding job you will ever have” becomes intimately clear. Indeed, the quality of one’s childhood has an overwhelming effect on the course of our adult lives. As parents we worry about making sure we do the right thing at the right time with the right means; yet we are armed with nothing more than our “bundles of joy” and our desire they grow up happy and have fulfilling lives. So what are these “right things” and how do we them?

To start, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP), children experience their world through their relationships with their parents and caregivers. Safe, stable, nurturing relationships and environments are the most important factors for their healthy development. It’s very important that your child can rely on you to be aware and respond not only to their basic needs, but also provide emotional nurturing and comfort. This is inline with the concept of "good enough parent" that was coined by Donald Winnicott, a pediatrician and psychoanalyst who transformed our understanding about raising children. Indeed, Donald Winnicott has lots to teach us about how to raise children - but warns us not to aim for perfection.

According to his theory, which is supported by years of modern research, as you raise your children it’s not possible to always be a wonderful or perfect parent simply because there is no such thing. Your goal instead should be to be “good enough,” which means providing your child with consistent nurturing that is sufficient and ensures they grow emotionally and physically healthy.