What is Tag-Team Parenting?

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This is an introduction to a series of articles about tag-team parenting including the reasons why families use this solution to child care.

Tag-team parenting is a relatively new term. The earliest internet referral to this type of parenting that I could find was in 2014. Families have been doing tag-team parenting since women entered the work force and were no longer the sole caregivers to their children. Tag-team parenting offers many advantages along with several disadvantages. There are many reasons why families decide that tag-team parenting is the right choice for them. Is tag-team parenting the right choice for your family?

Tag-team parenting consists of parents who work opposite shifts in order to care for their children. The combinations are endless. One parent can work during the week, while the other works weekends. One parent might work day shift while the other parent works nights.

Tag-team parenting. Image by thegritandgraceproject.org

Tag-team parenting is the most difficult when one parent is working nights and the other is working a day shift. The parent who works nights can get sleep deprived since that parent is normally up during the day taking care of the kids.

I have seen parents who hand their children off at one spouse’s workplace. They meet in the parking lot so that the parent who is getting off of work can take the children home and the other parent will not be late for work.

Tag-team parenting is a relatively new term. Image by wikye.com

For these families, sitting down for dinner together, as a family, can be difficult. This is just an adage for the lack of time that the entire family can spend together. This lack of complete togetherness can be stressful for both the parental side and the spousal aspect of both parents.

The reasons for tag-team parenting are just as endless as the combinations of shifts possible. It could be that the parents do not want their children to go to daycare. It could also be because there is not a viable choice for a child caregiver. Another big reason is the family only has one car.

The main reason that a family decides to tag-team is money. They need both parents’ income in order to make the household run. With the prices of everything increasing, eliminating the cost of daycare can insure the survival of some families.

Tag-team parenting consists of parents who work opposite shifts in order to care for their children. Image by positivepsychology.com

Some parents just do not want anyone else raising their children so in order for both parents to work, tag-team parenting is the only option. This is the only way that the parents can guarantee that they know exactly what is going on with their children when they are at work.

Tag -team parenting can add stress to a family, marriage, and even your work. The benefits may outweigh the downfalls. A tag-team family does not have to worry about child care costs and the children always have at least one parent present at all times.

There are multiple aspects to tag-team parenting that cannot be covered in one article. Expect more information about how to save money, marital stress, parental agreements, sacrifices, and household organization.

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