Course Description

For information on our other classes, please visit our home page.

Court Ordered "Parenting Apart" Co-Parenting Class for Divorcing or Separating Parents

  • Court Accepted
  • Free Certificate
  • Use your smart phone, tablet, laptop or desktop
  • Quick, Easy
  • 100% Online

Need more information on our parenting classes? Learn more here.

Need a parenting skills class instead? We've got you covered. Click here.


If you've been asked to take one of the following classes, you're in the right place!

  • Divorce Course
  • Children and Families In Transition (CFIT) Course
  • Parenting Education Course
  • Co-Parenting Course
  • Children Cope With Divorce
  • Child Impact Program
  • State Parent Education and Awareness Program
  • Child Support Impact Seminar
  • MODE
  • Coping With Separation and Divorce


National Parent Online School

National Parent School is the original online parenting course provider. Accepted in courts, our counselors have dedicated themselves to staying abreast of the most recent research in positive parenting.

Course curriculum

  • 1

    WELCOME

    • Instructions

    • Contact Us
  • 2

    Course Outline

    • Course Outline
  • 3

    Self-Test

    • Instructions

    • Self Test
  • 4

    Chapter One: Divorce is Loss

    • Transition

    • Emotional/Physical

    • Risks of Separation

    • Ways to be Constructive

    • Grieving and Mourning

    • Stages of Mourning

    • How to be Constructive

    • Social

    • Disrupted Home Lives

    • Chapter One Review Questions
  • 5

    Chapter Two: Co-Parenting

    • Shared Parental Responsibility

    • Responsibilities of Each Parent

    • Principles of Positive Parenting:

    • Economic Well Being

    • Shared Parental Responsibility vs. Sole Parental Responsibility

    • Sharing Parental Responsibility

    • Chapter Two Review Questions
  • 6

    Chapter 3: Developmental Stages

    • Common Reactions of Children

    • Red Flags

    • Children’s Understanding of Divorce By Age

    • Children’s Understanding Table: Infancy

    • Children’s Understanding Table: Toddlers

    • Children’s Understanding Table: Preschool and Early Elementary

    • Children’s Understanding Table: Preteens and Adolescents

    • Common Feelings of Children:

    • Expect the Unexpected

    • Helping Your Children Survive Divorce

    • Kids Can’t Cause Divorce

    • Kids & Strong Emotions

    • Chapter 3 Review Questions
  • 7

    Chapter 4: Communicating With Your Children

    • Keeping Communication Open

    • Tell The Children Together

    • Extra Care

    • Let Them Know

    • Listen

    • Do Not Use Your Children as Bargaining Tools

    • Talking With Your Children

    • Tips To Help Your Child Through Divorce

    • Let Your Children Know

    • ​Ask Your Children

    • Don't

    • A Few More Tips

    • What Children of a Divorce Want You To Know

    • Focus On The Kids

    • The Family They Have Always Known Will Be Different

    • Loss of Attachment

    • Fear of Abandonment

    • Hostility Between Parents

    • The Effect of Divorce On Children

    • How Children React To Divorce

    • Research

    • Lifetime Parents

    • Chapter Four Review Questions
  • 8

    Chapter 5: Communicating With The Other Parent

    • Anger & Divorce

    • Communicating With The Other Parent

    • Anger & Self-Destruction

    • Diffusing Self-Destructive Anger

    • Conflict Diffusion

    • Parenting & Parental Alienation Syndrome

    • Solutions

    • Avoiding Child Exposure to Parental Conflict

    • Examples of Child Exposure to Parental Conflict:

    • Please Remember:

    • How To Build A Different Kind Of Relationship

    • Establish Clear Boundaries for The New Relationship

    • Effective Communication

    • Tips For Effective Communication

    • Dealing With Your Ex

    • Chapter Five Review Questions
  • 9

    Chapter 6: Abuse

    • Domestic Violence

    • Spouse Abuse

    • Forms of Abuse

    • Legal Rights

    • Child Abuse

    • Statistical Information

    • Who Is Abused?

    • Common Characteristics of Abused:

    • Psychiatric Disorders of Abusers

    • More On Child Abuse

    • Who Suffers From Child Abuse?

    • Reporting Child Abuse

    • Reporting Child Abuse

    • Filing False Child Abuse Reports

    • Chapter Six Review Questions
  • 10

    Chapter 7: Legal Concepts

    • Please Understand….

    • Best Interest of The Child

    • Things That May Help Determine “Best Interest of the Child”

    • Shared Parental Responsibility / Sole Parental Responsibility

    • Physical Custody

    • Types of Physical Custody

    • How Does Primary Physical Custody Work?

    • What Factors Help Determine Primary Physical Custody?

    • Child Support

    • Purposes of Child Support Guidelines

    • Time With The Other Parent

    • Blocked Visitation

    • Child Support & Visitation

    • Mediation

    • When Mediation is Best

    • Guardian Ad Litem

    • Final Judgment

    • Modification

    • Chapter 7 Review Questions
  • 11

    Chapter 8: Visitation

    • Visitation

    • Balancing Act

    • Making Visitation Count

    • Effective Single Parenting

    • Important

    • Remember…

    • Visitation Plan

    • Regular Schedule

    • Vacations

    • Holidays

    • Drop-Off’s

    • Your Child’s Rights

    • Chapter 8 Review Questions
  • 12

    Chapter 9: Additional Resources

    • Additional Resources

    • National Resource List

    • Child Support Payments
  • 13

    FINAL EXAM

    • FINAL EXAM