Becoming family. The challenge of co-parenting, especially in twin families. the challenge of co-parenting.

Abstract

Becoming father and mother for members of a couple, especially at the first child, means acquiring a new adult identity, realizing the characteristic of parenthood.

The birth of a child is a crucial event that represents a discriminating factor between a "before" and an "after", which opens the gaze to the future and, at the same time, imposes a rereading of one's past; it makes the union of two partners "visible" and initiates an indelible bond: that between parents and children.

Birth does not automatically trigger the “transition to parenthood”. The choice of co-parenting represents the creation of an "alliance" for the joint management of educational and care practices and is reflected in the child's development and relationships within the family as an educational agency. In the case of twin births, this alliance is fundamental, as the co-presence of partners, participating and active in care and education, is the condition for the harmonious growth not only of children but also of the family.