Helping Your Children Cope with Your Divorce

 Posted on May 04, 2023 in Family Law

Divorce can be an emotionally traumatic experience for children that they may struggle to comprehend fully. It can be particularly difficult for divorcing parents going through a contentious divorce to help their children with everything that is going on, which may lead to further complications with the children, making the entire situation even more difficult. If you are a parent getting divorced and are concerned with how you can help your child cope with the situation, consult with a family attorney, as an experienced family lawyer will likely have past experience helping families and will have advice on how to improve the situation.

Tips on Helping Your Kids Get Through This Difficult Situation

Here are tips on how to proceed, including:

• Speak to them openly and in an age-appropriate manner – It is essential to be transparent and help your child understand the concept of divorce. Sit them down and explain to their level of comprehension the events that are happening. Please be advised to avoid engaging in degrading verbal tirades regarding your spouse, and their parent. Children often interpret a parent badmouthing another parent as a reflection of them. This can lead to lifelong emotional trauma.
• Assure them the divorce is not their fault – Children tend to believe that they are often the source of the problem when parents start to experience issues. Assure them that what is going on is in no way their fault.
• Look after their health and well-being – Divorce can take an enormous emotional toll on children. You must closely monitor their mental and emotional well-being as they move through your divorce. Enlisting the help of a therapist or support group specializing in families facing the same challenge can be a way to ensure your children get the emotional help they need.
• Reassure personal love and support – Make sure to continually remind your children that you and their other parent will always love them and remain a constant source of support for them throughout their life. This will help to maintain a stable family unit, even with a divorce taking place.
• Be cohesive on co-parenting – Communicate and set up boundaries and expectations regarding co-parenting. Work on ensuring that both parents attend significant events in the child’s life, such as birthdays, holiday events, and class plays. Cohesive co-parenting arrangements tend to create stability, ultimately benefiting children through the divorce process.

Contact a Kane County Family Lawyer

Contact the skilled and compassionate St. Charles family attorneys with Weiler & Associates, Inc. for guidance on supporting your children through this difficult time. Call 630-331-9110 for a private consultation.

Source - https://health.clevelandclinic.org/help-child-breakup-divorce