At these times, civility and mutual respect on both sides will always be the expectation. We need to model healthy conflict resolution for your daughters, with a win-win approach to problem solving. Yet, we also need to be realistic in recognizing that these efforts will sometimes end in a stalemate, with both of us feeling a bit rumpled. After all, good communication is about connection, not about agreement. It is about mutual understanding, not about being right or wrong.
Good communication means straightforward truth telling, and that ultimately leads to trust.
In short, good communication is easy to talk about, difficult to make happen, and essential to your daughter's success. I have asked the Parents' Council to explore ways in which we can appropriately meet each other's needs and expectations this year with more smiles than frowns, more delight than frustration. In sum, my goal is that we revel in more shared pride in the results of our teamwork on your daughters' behalf. Your daughters will most certainly be the beneficiaries of our endeavors in this regard. I am certain that there will be numerous opportunities for us to learn from each other as your daughters learn from us this year.