Dr. John Gottman, who has behind him more than 40 years of solid, scientific research on relationships, families and
parenting styles, says that
if there is one thing
parents could do for their child that would make a
difference both now and
in the future and help them be successful
in life, it is this: To build the child's emotional intelligence, the ability to understand and manage their feelings
in a positive way so that they can eventually regulate their own behavior.
Couples counseling although seen far too often as something to seek out when a couple is having problems is actually a GREAT tool (of course
if done with the right therapist, one who is trained
in working with couples) to learn how to communicate about some of these
differences in parenting styles.