Raising children as a team: why it’s important (2024)

About raising children as a team

Raising children as a team is about working together, agreeing on a shared approach to parenting, making decisions together and supporting each other.

It’s about agreeing on things like family routines, nutrition and rules. If you’re part of a couple, it’s also about you and your partner sharing the job of managing your house, which might involve doing chores, paying bills, handling paperwork, earning an income and so on. And it’s about caring for each other and your child, and trying to make sure that everyone has time to do things they enjoy.

Why raising children as a team is important

The way that you and your partner or co-parent interact with each other hasa big influence on your child.

For example, when parents see themselves as a team and work together, children feel safe and good about themselves. They learn about respectful communication and how to build healthy relationships. This is important for children’s emotional development.

And raising children as a team with your partner or co-parent can be good for you too. When you work as a team, you’re likely to feelhappier, more confident and more satisfied with your parenting and your family life. It’s also easier for you to enjoy the time you spend with your family.

Staying healthy, managing stress and looking after yourself can give you more energy to work as a team with your partner or co-parent. It can also help you get the most out of being a parent. And if you’re part of a couple, it’s worth trying to keep your relationship with your partner healthy. This can help you feel closer to your partner and more supported as a parent.

Parenting teamwork skills

Raising children as a team gets easier with time and practice. There are also some skills that can help you with parenting teamwork:

  • Problem-solving –this means finding new and creative solutions in situations where you’re stuck or can’t work through family issues.
  • Managing conflict – this means managing and resolving disagreements in a collaborative and positive way.
  • Talking andlistening – this means communicating in ways that help you connect, strengthen your relationship and understand each other.
  • Backing each other up – this means parenting in consistent and supportive ways.
  • Accepting each other – this means living with and valuing each other’s differences.

Parenting teamwork after separation

Raising children as a team can be even more important after separation, but it can sometimes be more challenging too.Co-parenting often means you have more things to keep track of. This might include things like visitation schedules and arrangements for attending parent-teacher interviews, extracurricular activities or medical appointments.

If there’s conflict between you and your former partner,it’s important to manage it in a positive, respectful and business-like way. Grown-up conflict management can teach your child valuable skills, but ongoing conflict between separated parents isn’t good for children.

Ifyou’re a single parent,you might sometimes feel like you’re doing it all by yourself. But you don’t have to. It helps to build a strong network of people who can support you. These people might include family, friends, colleagues and support groups.

When raising children as a team is hard: getting help

There might be times when you and your partner or co-parent find it hard to work as a team. This is more likely to happen during times of change, like when a parent returns to work or changes jobs, a child begins school, or a child starts going through puberty. The natural changes in life can make teamwork tricky because they affect family routines.

You might find you’re having trouble working through disagreements or conflicts.

It’s good if you and your partner or co-parent can get help together. Whether you’re in a couple or separated, relationship counsellors can help you identify the issues and what you can do about them. You could try the following options:

  • CallRelationships Australia in your state or territory on1300 364 277.
  • Call Family Relationships Online on1800 050 321. This service has a Family Relationship Advice Line for families affected by relationship or separation issues.
  • See your GP to talk things through and get a referral to a psychologist or a relationship or family counselling service.
  • Find a psychologist or counselling service through the Australian Psychology Society, Australian Counselling Association or Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia.

If your partner or co-parent doesn’t want to go to counselling with you, it’s still worth seeking help by yourself.

Family violence is not OK. If you’re in a relationship that involvesfamily violence,call theNational Domestic Family and Sexual Violence Counselling Service on 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).

Raising children as a team: why it’s important (2024)

FAQs

Raising children as a team: why it’s important? ›

Raising children

Raising children
The Australian Parenting Website

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https://raisingchildren.net.au
as a team is good for children and good for you. Parenting teamwork involves problem-solving, managing conflict, talking, listening, backing each other up and accepting each other. Raising children as a team is important, whether you're parenting as a couple or after separation.

Why parenting as a team is important? ›

Parenting teamwork helps you face the ups and downs of family life in a positive way that minimises conflict and strengthens relationships. Here's how. When you back each other up as parents, children feel secure. It's about agreeing on family rules, supporting each other's decisions, and being consistent.

What are the benefits of teamwork for children? ›

The Benefits of Teaching Kids Teamwork
  • Improved communication. Being part of a team means you have to verbalise many things—from sharing your thoughts, ideas and opinions to asking questions and giving instructions. ...
  • Improved listening skills. ...
  • Increased self-confidence. ...
  • Better relationships with peers. ...
  • More self-awareness.

Why is teamwork and collaboration important for kids? ›

Teaching children how to work in teams not only helps them accomplish tasks more effectively but also enables them to build better relationships and improve their communication skills.

Why is it important to raise a child properly? ›

Some of the many reasons why we need to discipline include the fact that children who are given clear rules, boundaries, and expectations are responsible, more self-sufficient, are more likely to make good choices and are more likely to make friends and be happy.

Why is it important to work together as a family? ›

It helps us feel good! The success in family teambuilding lies in having lots of fun, open communications, and doing things together. There are many physical, social, emotional, and mental health benefits that result from engaging in variety of family teambuilding activities.

What are the benefits of parent involvement? ›

In addition to avoiding health risk behaviors, family engagement can increase participation in positive health behaviors such as school-related physical activity13 and improved educational achievement, including increased attendance14 and higher grades and test scores.

What life skills does team play provide children? ›

Being a part of a team encourages the development of life skills including sharing, cooperation, teamwork, and even the art of winning and losing gracefully. These skills are provided in the spirit of fair play, which helps them build their sense of morality and principles.

Why is teamwork an important life skill? ›

Individuals have their own set of skills and strengths. When the whole team works as a unit, everyone has an opportunity to learn from each other. This process leads to resource building and enables the team to become better equipped to deal with new challenges. Teamwork can improve efficiency and productivity.

Why is teamwork important in education? ›

Collaboration is essential among students and teachers, and parents and educators. This gives students more opportunities to master critical soft skills like better communication skills and teamwork, which not only improve learning outcomes but help create a positive school culture too.

How do children learn teamwork? ›

There are many ways to give your child opportunities to practise their teamwork skills at home. You might like to try: Board games and party games like Scrabble, Top Trumps, Charades, Jenga and Ludo: great for developing important social skills like taking turns, collaboration and compromise.

Why is teamwork important in teaching and learning? ›

Teamwork teaches essential communication and social skills, such as active listening and effective speaking. When working as a team, students learn how to listen to their leaders and coaches in order to perform their individual roles. Students learn how to listen to one another in order to function as a cohesive unit.

What is most important in raising children? ›

Relationships: the foundation of child development

In fact, nurturing relationships are the foundation of healthy child development. Through warm, responsive relationships, your child learns vital information about themselves and their world. For example, your child learns that they're loved, safe and secure.

What is most important in raising kids? ›

Discipline is necessary in every household. The goal of discipline is to help kids choose acceptable behaviors and learn self-control. They may test the limits you establish for them, but they need those limits to grow into responsible adults.

What is the most important factor in raising a child? ›

Family is almost certainly the most important factor in child development. In early childhood especially, parents are the ones who spend the most time with their children and we (sometimes unwittingly) influence the way they act and think and behave.

Can you give examples of teamwork among children? ›

Partner or group work, with more able children helping those who are having difficulty with a task. Group reading, where children take it in turns to read passages from a set book. Music, playing simple instruments like recorders, keyboards and percussion to put together a piece of music.

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