Develop a list of alternatives or solutions that it could offer to settle the dispute, and prioritize the list from most important to most willing to give up. Ask others to react to its position. Negotiate with the attitude that it is developing an agreement, start with a plan that might work and can be modified as needed. Recognize that mediation requires the give and take of ideas. Focus on the child's needs.
Mediation works best when both paries practice good communication skills.
Each should try to assume an open and inviting body language and be honest about its concerns. Unlike hearings, mediation is a process in which parents can share their emotions concerning their child. Also, both parties should avoid language that blames the other. Although there are differing models of mediation, the roles of the mediator is essentially the same. The mediator helps the participants reach their own agreement.