Divorce or family separation is one of the most stressful events a parent can face. To help navigate this challenging time, many counties require parents to take a co-parenting class. These classes aim to support parents in managing their new family dynamics, but not all courses are created equal. Here are five critical factors to consider when choosing a co-parenting class.
1. The Importance of Choosing the Right Co-Parenting Course
There is significant variation in the content and presentation of co-parenting courses. Selecting the right course can make a substantial difference in how well parents support their children during and after the separation. While courts typically approve certain programs based on a checklist of topics, the depth and effectiveness of the content are crucial. Information alone isn’t enough; it must be delivered in a way that is memorable and applicable.
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2. Content and Structure: Designed to Be Remembered and Used?
Effective co-parenting courses are structured to ensure that information is not only retained but also practical. Parents should learn skills such as effective communication (e.g., using "I" messages, active listening), problem-solving, and emotional regulation, particularly regarding anger and fear. These skills help reduce conflict and support healthy co-parenting relationships. Courses that use videos for behavior modeling can significantly enhance learning by showing real-life applications of these skills.
3. Engagement: Capturing and Maintaining Attention
A good co-parenting class keeps parents engaged from start to finish. This can be achieved through interactive elements, including breakout sessions and practice exercises, which allow parents to apply what they’ve learned. Additionally, courses should use emotionally impactful videos that depict realistic scenarios of parental conflict and its effects on children. These elements help maintain attention and make the learning experience more relatable and memorable.
4. Emphasis on the Most Harmful Aspects of Divorce
Courses should focus on addressing the most harmful aspects of divorce for both children and parents. Parents can remember only so much in a four hour course. Key issues include children being caught in loyalty binds, loss of significant contact with either parent, and excessive changes in their lives. Emphasizing and repeating these critical areas throughout the course ensures that parents understand the potential risks and learn practical ways to mitigate them.
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5. Evidence of Positive Outcomes
Look for co-parenting courses backed by concrete evidence of their effectiveness. The research should be with parents who are divorcing and mandated to take parent education, not those already divorced. This includes evaluations with pre- and post-testing and comparisons with control groups that did not take the course. Skills-based courses have been shown to produce measurable benefits for families, improving both parental cooperation and child adjustment. When considering a course, check if there are published studies or reviews demonstrating its impact.
Additional Considerations
- Mode of Delivery: Whether in-person, online, or via Zoom, the mode of delivery affects engagement and retention. In-person classes often resemble college lectures and may lack interactive elements unless the class size is small. Zoom classes, while convenient, present challenges in ensuring participant attention and engagement. Online courses vary widely, with some merely providing narrated PowerPoints and others incorporating interactive elements and quizzes.
- Course Duration: Many co-parenting courses are condensed into a single four-hour session or two shorter sessions. Given the complexity and emotional intensity of divorce, longer courses or those spread over multiple sessions are more effective. They provide opportunities for practice, feedback, and deeper understanding.
- Practice and Feedback: Courses that include practice exercises and feedback on skill use are more effective in helping parents apply what they have learned. This is especially important for developing skills like communication and emotional regulation.
- Research and Evidence: Look for courses backed by research and evidence. Studies should demonstrate measurable benefits for parents and children who are in the process of divorce (not already divorced), ideally through rigorous evaluations involving pre- and post-testing and control groups.
- Instructional Design: Effective instructional design includes varied content formats (text, video, voice, and pictures) and incorporates breaks to prevent attention degradation. Courses should include emotional and personally relevant content, with goals and objectives clearly spelled out.
A recent study of the instructional designs of popular online courses showed that only one course had a strong instructional design leading to recall of material. The courses with poor to average instructional design did not demonstrate significant recall of content after two weeks. Recall of skills was only substantial with one course.
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Conclusion
Selecting the right co-parenting class is vital for helping families navigate the challenges of divorce or separation. The class should be engaging, practical, and focused on the most critical issues, with a proven track record of producing positive outcomes. By approving and recommending the best co-parenting classes, family law professionals can play a crucial role in supporting families during one of the most stressful times in their lives.
About the Author:
Dr. Don Gordon, CEO of The Center for Divorce Education, is a globally recognized expert in parent/child relationships with over 30 years of experience. He has developed groundbreaking online programs like Children in Between and Parenting Wisely. A prolific academic, he has published extensively, secured millions in research grants, and received numerous awards for his contributions to family and parenting interventions.
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