The Single Parent, The Aftermath of a Divorce

Creating a New Sense of Belonging
The single parent can ask 5 questions, to which; the answers can increase their children's sense of responsibility in this new family structure.

1. What have I done for my children that they could learn to do for themselves? (The provision question)
   
   
   
2. What am I keeping my children from doing that they could learn to do for themselves? (The protective question)
   
   
   
3. What responsibilities will they need in order to master later independence that I could start teaching them now? (The preparation question)
   
   
   
4. What service contributions to the operation and maintenance of the family could each child make? (The participation question)
   
   
   
5. What good ideas for working and playing together might the children have to offer that would create a more enjoyable and effectively functioning family? (The possibility question)

Holding Family Meetings
For the first year of single parenting, it can be worthwhile to hold family meetings at a regular weekly time during which the operation of family can be discussed by all, and ideas for improvement can be shared.

In addition to helping everyone stay on the same page, the role of family meetings is to provide children with a mechanism for creating and investing int he definition and operation of family. Children feel most invested in, and committed to, supporting that which they helped create.  

Liked this article? Re-tweet it by clicking on the green button above to share it with your fellow twitter pals! To easily receive updates on new articles, subscribe to our RSS feeds.