This is our ambition and what we strive to achieve every single day.
For our children to thrive and live healthy, safe and secure lives, they need to experience family relationships that are healthy and stable. All relationships have tricky moments – it’s how they are experienced and resolved that matters. Many research studies have proven that positive relationships have a significant impact on the children in those families.
And the opposite is true – parental conflict has a significant and direct negative impact on the children in those families. Children who are exposed to parental conflict can suffer long-term harm which affects their:
- emotional and social development
- mental health
- educational attainment
- employability
- future relationships
We know and understand that in every relationship there are arguments and conflict. These are healthy and a normal part of life.
But some couples may argue more frequently and intensely. If these arguments and struggles are left unresolved, they can develop and grow which can change your relationships from healthy to unhealthy and even to abusive.
That’s why we have produced a range of information for all parents in the borough, whether together, separated or considering separation, who want to find ways to improve their relationship and get on better. This guide pulls together a range of help, advice and tools for parents and for practitioners who are working with them. This information is relevant for all relationships, including: ‘traditional’ couples; same sex couples; families with a foster or adopted child; families where there is a blend of cultures or religions; and every other family structure.
It is important to remember that we are here for every family.
The Bromley Parenting Hub pulls together information for all parents in the borough, whether together, separated or considering separation, who want to find ways to improve their relationship and get on better.
The importance of healthy relationships
When two people share responsibility for a child, the relationship between them has a direct impact on the emotional and mental wellbeing of their child.
Identifying conflict
Intimate Relationship Spectrum
View our Bromley Intimate Relationship Spectrum which is based on the For Baby’s Sake Trust’s ‘Parental Relationships Spectrum’.
This assists our families and our practitioners in differentiating whether families are experiencing parental conflict or domestic abuse.
See it Differently
Made in partnership with families around the UK, these videos by the Good Things Foundation reflect common daily situations and offer up a different way of doing things to reduce the impact of arguments on children.
How to use this guide
This guide is designed around our three-step healthy relationships model:
This will help to reduce conflict and to keep your relationships healthy.
This guide is designed to help you to focus on:
- your child’s wellbeing
- the impact of your unhealthy relationships on your child
- identifying the steps that you can take to improve your relationships whether you are together, separating or separated
It is not designed to keep couples together.
