Co-Parenting class helps to let ex spouses find common ground

A growth in the number of divorced parents who are "co-parenting" has led to many areas around the country launching programs that help these individuals protect their children from potential conflicts between the former couple.

According to the Petaluma Patch, the town of Petaluma, California, is trying to solve this problem by creating a program through the town's People Services Department.

The news source reported that the program combines group discussion, video and activities to help parents refocus their attention on the children, rather than quarrelling with each other in front of the kids.

"When people are in love, they see only the positive traits of the other person," Susan Boyan, co-founder of the Cooperating Parenting Institute (CPI), told the Patch. "Then, when they are no longer in love, the opposite often happens, and they can no longer see any good in the other person. It becomes all or nothing."

The Cooperating Parenting Institute is an organization whose mission it is to promote healthy family relationships, even after a divorce has occurred, according to the CPI website.