Relationship skills training is often referred to as the 'missing link' in parenting education. Parenting programmes often focus on the mother-child or the father-child relationship. But there is increasing research evidence to show that the adult couple relationship is of prime importance. Even if the parents are no longer together, the relationship between them is still important. How partners and ex-partners manage their differences can have a profound effect on children's emotional and social development. Research shows that when adults have troubled relationships and fail to resolve conflicts successfully, this leads to problems for children at home and at school.