Puhlman pens Maine Schools in Focus piece
Parenting Relationships Research Lab founder and assistant professor of family studies Daniel Puhlman has authored a piece for the University of Maine College of Education and Human Development’s Maine Schools in Focus series. The post is about what educators need to know about high-conflict family relationships. “When teachers have students in their classes whose parents are going through a contentious divorce and/or separation, it can create significant tension and serious challenges for the student that threaten to disrupt their learning and development,” Puhlman writes. He adds that while “engaging with families in the midst of divorce or separation is terrifying to many teachers, the unique position of educators makes them particularly well situated to make a difference in the child’s life.” Puhlman goes on to detail some of the challenges facing families and schools when parents go through a high-conflict separation or divorce, as well as some strategies that educators can use to mitigate these situations.