Parenting Consulting Services
Family breakups can be messy. Decisions you used to make together become reasons to argue and fight. Routines that once helped get from one day to the next no longer work when split between two households. Kids, resilient as they are, can struggle at home and school. Often, just getting through the day is a challenge. If this sounds familiar to you, a Parenting Consultant might be a helpful alternative.
A parenting consultant is part coach, mediator, and arbitrator. They listen to parents, facilitate discussion, and guide them toward mutually agreed upon decisions. They help you to better cope with parenting issues that come your way after a divorce proceeding. When parties reach a standstill, however, parents and the court give parenting consultants authority to make decisions in the best interest of the child(ren). Parenting Consulting decisions are generally binding.
At CMG Mediation and Family Services, we believe parents are in the best position to make decisions about their children. This means that while the Parenting Consultant provides advice, he or she focuses on aiding the parents in resolving disputes between themselves. When parents are unable or unwilling to agree, the Parenting Consultant will make recommendations that would benefit the child(ren). When parents are unwilling to make joint decisions, they may both elect to have decisions made by a Parenting Consultant.
CMG Mediation and Family Services provides both parents a safe and neutral place to present your issues while going through (or following) a divorce or breakup. We work toward resolution and providing a path for moving forward. Common issues that CMG Mediation and Family Services assists parents working through include: parenting time, transportation pick-up/drop-off, discipline, extracurricular activities, medical care, and school placement.
A parenting consultant is part coach, mediator, and arbitrator. They listen to parents, facilitate discussion, and guide them toward mutually agreed upon decisions. They help you to better cope with parenting issues that come your way after a divorce proceeding. When parties reach a standstill, however, parents and the court give parenting consultants authority to make decisions in the best interest of the child(ren). Parenting Consulting decisions are generally binding.
At CMG Mediation and Family Services, we believe parents are in the best position to make decisions about their children. This means that while the Parenting Consultant provides advice, he or she focuses on aiding the parents in resolving disputes between themselves. When parents are unable or unwilling to agree, the Parenting Consultant will make recommendations that would benefit the child(ren). When parents are unwilling to make joint decisions, they may both elect to have decisions made by a Parenting Consultant.
CMG Mediation and Family Services provides both parents a safe and neutral place to present your issues while going through (or following) a divorce or breakup. We work toward resolution and providing a path for moving forward. Common issues that CMG Mediation and Family Services assists parents working through include: parenting time, transportation pick-up/drop-off, discipline, extracurricular activities, medical care, and school placement.
How does the Parenting Consultant process work?
A divorce requires parents to co-parent in a whole new way. Oftentimes, conflicts arise ranging from how to parent a particular issue to school choice. A Parenting Consultant (PC) can be a helpful alternative to learn how to effectively resolve these conflicts without going to court. The PC from CMG Mediation and Family Services will initially meet with both parents present so you can learn about the process and they can understand your immediate concerns. Then the PC will meet with each of you alone so they can get to know you, hear “your side” of the story, and learn which issue(s) you need assistance resolving. They will then ask each of you to formulate your “proposal” for resolving an issue.
The PC from CMG Mediation and Family Services uses the following techniques to help co-parents resolve their conflict:
1. Coaching.
The PC works with each of you individually on strategies for communicating with the other parent as well as how to best present your proposal for each issue. The PC will also coach each of you on how to parent your children in a way that minimizes the impact of the conflict on them. Coaching is done through individual meetings and during short, private “sidebar” conversations during joint sessions.
2. Facilitating.
When there is a specific issue you are looking to resolve the two of you will meet with the PC to present your proposed resolutions to the conflict. They will help you negotiate with one another in a respectful, safe environment, and guide you toward a mutually agreeable solution. If needed, regular communication between the two of you can be monitored by the PC through email, or as service such as OurFamilyWizard, to minimize conflict going forward.
3. Decision making.
If you cannot reach an agreement on a particular issue through facilitation you may request that the PC make a decision for you. Depending on the issue, the PC may ask for your permission to collect collateral information before they makes a decision. Collateral information can come in the form of school or medical records, conversations with your children, new partner, grandparents or any other person who may shed light on the issue to be decided. Any decision the PC makes will be issued in writing and will be legally binding.
The goal of the PC from CMG Mediation and Family Services is that through the parenting consulting process you learn to communicate and compromise so effectively that you no longer need a parenting consultant. However, if you work with a PC for a period of time and mutually decide no amount of coaching or facilitating will work, you may move to a decision-only situation. Under this model the process changes such that the PC listens to each proposal, gathers any collateral information and issues a decision.
The PC from CMG Mediation and Family Services uses the following techniques to help co-parents resolve their conflict:
1. Coaching.
The PC works with each of you individually on strategies for communicating with the other parent as well as how to best present your proposal for each issue. The PC will also coach each of you on how to parent your children in a way that minimizes the impact of the conflict on them. Coaching is done through individual meetings and during short, private “sidebar” conversations during joint sessions.
2. Facilitating.
When there is a specific issue you are looking to resolve the two of you will meet with the PC to present your proposed resolutions to the conflict. They will help you negotiate with one another in a respectful, safe environment, and guide you toward a mutually agreeable solution. If needed, regular communication between the two of you can be monitored by the PC through email, or as service such as OurFamilyWizard, to minimize conflict going forward.
3. Decision making.
If you cannot reach an agreement on a particular issue through facilitation you may request that the PC make a decision for you. Depending on the issue, the PC may ask for your permission to collect collateral information before they makes a decision. Collateral information can come in the form of school or medical records, conversations with your children, new partner, grandparents or any other person who may shed light on the issue to be decided. Any decision the PC makes will be issued in writing and will be legally binding.
The goal of the PC from CMG Mediation and Family Services is that through the parenting consulting process you learn to communicate and compromise so effectively that you no longer need a parenting consultant. However, if you work with a PC for a period of time and mutually decide no amount of coaching or facilitating will work, you may move to a decision-only situation. Under this model the process changes such that the PC listens to each proposal, gathers any collateral information and issues a decision.