Creating and maintaining a healthy environment for children in a co-parenting situation requires former spouses to put aside their egos and differences and work together.
As you can imagine, this isn’t the easiest thing to do. If you are in a co-parenting situation, you will need lots of support to succeed. That’s why I’ve rounded up a few deep co parenting quotes to help provide positive reinforcement for raising well-rounded children in a co-parenting situation.
First, here’s a quick word on prioritizing your child’s well-being above any differences you may have with your former spouse.
Putting Your Child First
You undoubtedly have concrete reasons for parting ways with your ex, whether by marriage dissolution or ending a cohabiting relationship. It might be easy to cut off all ties with a former partner if you don’t have children together. But that’s not usually the case if kids are in the picture.
As a co-parent, you must maintain a healthy relationship with your ex for your children’s sake. While you may not want anything to do with your ex, your kids are your number one priority, and to give them the best upbringing, you must make certain compromises.
Constant fights, arguing, and disagreements with your co-parent can negatively affect the mental health of your children, and it can even impact their future romantic relationships. These deep co parenting quotes will do you no good unless you come to terms with this fact.
But you don’t have to take my word for it.
A systematic review of several studies between 2000 and 2014 linked co-parental conflicts to mental health issues and behavioral problems in affected children.
The review found that conflicts between co-parents can lead to symptoms of somatization, anxiety, and depression in children. On the other hand, co-parental support, agreement, and cooperation between exes can positively impact children’s academic performance, self-esteem, and overall mental health.
Bottom line: Co-parents must realize that their children are more important than their egos combined. Prioritizing the children’s well-being is the key to having a peaceful co-parenting relationship.
10 Deep Parenting Quotes
Quotes About Unconditional Love
Unconditional love is arguably the best gift you can give to your child. Kids raised in a loving, supportive environment, regardless of what they do, tend to grow up to be self-assured and resilient.
Co-parents can choose whatever parenting methods work well for them. But whatever parenting style you choose, it is crucial to never give your children the idea that they have to earn your love. Here are a few quotes to make you think carefully about the type of love you show your children.
- “I may not be able to give my kids everything they want, but I give them what they need: love, time, and attention. You can’t buy those things.” – Nishan Panwar
- “Your kids require you most of all to love them for who they are, not to spend your whole time trying to correct them.” – Bill Ayers
- “By loving them for more than their abilities, we show our children that they are much more than the sum of their accomplishments.” – Eileen Kennedy-Moore
- “As your kids grow up, they may forget what you said, but they won’t forget how you made them feel.” – Kevin Heath
Quotes About Child Discipline
Discipline can be tricky, especially when co-parenting in a relationship. Former spouses and the new partner must understand what disciplinary measures are acceptable and what’s out of bounds. To learn more, check out this post about setting healthy co-parenting boundaries in a new relationship.
The deep co parenting quotes in this section will remind you to adopt strategies for disciplining children without hurting them.
- “Where did we ever get the crazy idea that in order to make children do better, first, we have to make them feel worse? Think of the last time you felt humiliated or treated unfairly. Did you feel like cooperating or doing better?” – Jane Nelson
- “If I had to make a general rule for living and working with children, it might be this: Be wary of saying or doing anything to a child that you would not do to another adult whose good opinion and affection you valued.” – John Holt
- “Play helps build a warm relationship between family members and creates a bank of positive feelings and experiences that can be drawn upon in times of conflict. Through play, you can help your children solve problems, test out ideas, and explore their imaginations.” – Carolyn Webster-Stratton
Quotes About Setting Good Examples as Parents
Toddlers may not be quick to notice, but older kids can easily figure out that dad and mum went their separate ways due to unresolved differences. But just because you are in a co parenting relationship doesn’t mean you can’t demonstrate tolerance, kindness, respect, and how to be caring.
Remember, children learn more from what you are and “listen” to your actions than your words. For this reason, ensure your behavior (toward your ex and others) matches your words.
Here are some quotes to remind you of this fact.
- “Don’t worry that children never listen to you; worry that they are always watching you.” – Robert Fulghum
- “As kids do, they’re smart, and even if parents try to keep things away from them, conflict and issues and whatnot, kids pick up on what’s happening.” – Anna Gunn
- “Instead of raising children who turn out okay despite their childhood, let’s raise children who turn out extraordinary because of their childhood.” – L. R. Knost
Final Thoughts
Parenting is hard; parenting in a co-parenting situation is much harder, considering you must work with an ex to raise resilient children. Thankfully, reading an inspirational parenting quote that helps you see what’s more important can help you pull through when things get tough.
It’s a good idea to write out a couple of these deep co parenting quotes and place them where you can easily see them. They will constantly remind you to be the best parent you can be to your child while maintaining a positive co parenting relationship.
