"Co-parenting after divorce"

NOTE: Personal Application exercises are optional (not required), supplemental, non-graded, individual opportunities to personalize some of the material covered that module. This work is not submitted for a grade but is simply an opportunity to use your life as a context for more deeply connecting with specific concepts. If we were sitting in a classroom together, I might end the class by saying, "Before we leave today, let's take a few moments and ponder how we might personally connect with some of the ideas we have explored today." Again, this work is not submitted to me (though I am always happy to interact with you about it) and it is not graded. It is simply one more way that some students will enjoy personalizing the material. The Personal Application exercise will be tied to one of the learning objectives for the module.

Co-parenting after divorce

Imagine that you have been divorced for three years. Both you and your ex-spouse remain financially and emotionally involved in the lives of your mutual children. For each of the following situations, indicate whether or not you would consult with the other parent before making a parenting decision (write “yes” if you would consult with the other parent; write “no” if you would not consult with the other parent):

Your 12-year-old daughter has asked you if she can get her ears pierced.
Your 16-year-old son wants to go to a rock concert with some high school friends. The concert is an hour drive from home and one of your son’s friends has permission from his parents to drive to the concert.
Your 10-year-old daughter wants to get a puppy and agrees to be responsible for taking care of the puppy.
Your 15-year-old daughter has asked to go on the birth control pill.
Your 14-year-old son wants to try out for the school football team.
Your 13-year-old daughter struggled in pre-algebra class and made a C average for the year. The teacher suggested that your daughter repeat pre-algebra next year rather than take Algebra I; however, she would allow your daughter to take Algebra I if she had parental permission and private tutoring in Algebra once a week.

Then, read the six hypothetical situations again, but this time think about whether you would want your ex-spouse to consult with you before making a parenting decision about the issue. Finally, read the hypothetical situations again, but this time the scenario is that you are married to and living with your child’s other parent. Would you consult with your spouse regarding each of the hypothetical situations?

Did you have any learnings or realizations from doing this exercise?