Centering Children in Co-Parenting

Comprehensive systems theory identifies several associated risk factors and consequences of separation but, research suggests that legal divorce itself has few direct effects on children (Amato, 2000). While there is diversity in children’s responses to separation, generally associated risk factors are behavioral disruptions, emotional upheaval, anger, resentment, anxiety, guilt and depression (Wallerstein, 1985; Wallerstein, 1987; Hetherington, Cox and Cox, 1985). Parents abilities to cope with their divorce are critical to the child’s adjustment and, if parents are able to control their feelings toward their ex-spouse, cooperate in parenting, negotiate differences, and settle their quarrels in privacy, their children will show fewer social and emotional problems (Tschannetal, 1989; Wallerstein and Blakeslee, 1989; Buchanan, 1991; Hetherington, 1999; Sumari, 2019). It’s expected that the curriculum design and implementations will address these complex needs of families. A thematic analysis is being done of Cooperative Parenting and Divorce: Shielding Your Child from Conflict written by Susan Boyan. The thematic analysis will identify major themes, contextualize the curriculum and its implementation. The analysis seeks to identify how children are centered in this curriculum regarding legal divorce and separation