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Parents ... Unite! A new study finds that when mom and dad are on the same page, behavioral problems decrease 
At no time is a solid support system more valuable than when it comes to parenting a child - especially when each parent is being supportive of the other's decisions and reprimands. A recent study at Ohio State University, Columbus, examined fluctuations in children's aggression levels and other forms of "acting out" as they transitioned from age 4 to age 5. The kids who already had low levels of self-control generally exhibited increases in negative behaviors over the course of that year unless their parents were in a supportive, co-parenting relationship. "It's a positive message for parents," says Sarah Schoppe-Sullivan, lead author of the study and assistant professor of human development and family science at Ohio State University. "If you support your spouse in front of your child, show that you are a united front, it can help prevent some behavior problems in children who may be at risk." Researchers studied 92 families with a 4-year-old child. Each family visited a lab for 1-1/2 hours, during which time they were videotaped while completing two assignments together, which included building a house out of a toy building set. One year later, parents again reported on their child's behavior, as did the child's kindergarten or preschool teacher. The kids with the least increase in aggression were the ones whose parents had the best co-parenting skills during the study. Schoppe-Sullivan believes it may be that good co-parenting promotes a sense of family security in children that makes it easier for them to focus on controlling their own behaviors and emotions. "If you have a child who has trouble controlling his or her behavior, that's not a problem that often goes away," Schoppe-Sullivan says." If you can improve that [co-parenting] relationship, there are all kinds of positive effects on the children and on the other family relationships."
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