When Parenting Feels Uneven: Helping Your Partner Step In

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks!Many parents raising adopted, foster, or kinship children feel like they’re carrying most of the parenting load alone. Talking about it and changing it can be hard. In this episode, Josh Davis, PhD, shares practical, non-blaming strategies to improve communication, build confidence, and create a stronger parenting partnership when raising kids from hard places. As Father's Day approaches, Josh also offers some downloads for Dads!In this episode, we discuss:How common is it for one person in a partnership or marriage to feel as if the parenting load is uneven?How can we influence the relationship to invite our partners into a more balanced dynamic?What are the common reasons partners step back instead of stepping in? What are some signs that maybe criticism—even subtle—is affecting our partner’s willingness to engage?What do you mean by “lowering the barrier to involvement?”How can we offer specific, doable examples to our partners without “telling them what to do?”What scripts can we use, or what language, to invite partnership?For parents/caregivers raising challenging kids who require a LOT of time, energy, emotional investment, etc., what are some helpful ways to stay emotionally connected and protect their marriage or partnership?If a listener wants to take what they’ve learned here and invite their partner in to share the parenting load, what are one or two first steps to try? Resources:Celebrating & Supporting Men in Foster & Kinship CareJosh Davis, PhD  - www.joshdavisphd.com/www.joshdavisphd.com and www.nlpfordads.com Why Mentors are Crucial When Raising Relative KidsSupport the showPlease leave us a rating or review.  This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them.Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:Weekly podcastsWeekly articles/blog postsResource pages on all aspects of family building