You and your former spouse can be under extreme emotional and mental stress as you go through divorce. Some cases can be more straightforward, while others could involve severe conflicts impacting the entire family. However, your children may receive the harshest blow out of everyone, mainly if child custody disputes exist.
Unfortunately, kids tend to respond more severely to divorce-related stress, such as developmental, behavioral and mental issues. As a parent, you can have an active role in helping make the transition bearable for them. You could take the following measures to help them adjust:
- Discuss the divorce with your children appropriately. You may feel the urge to sugarcoat everything and withhold information, but it is better to approach the conversation according to their age. With younger children, you may need to phrase the explanation into more digestible statements they can understand. Meanwhile, teens can comprehend better, making open communication ideal.
- Provide them with the reassurance and emotional support they need. There is no exact method for fulfilling these needs, but spending quality time with them and being supportive when they express themselves could be helpful.
- Never badmouth the other parent to your child. This type of behavior can be harmful to family relationships and have legal implications in severe cases.
- Involve your children when planning your new life. Giving them advance notice about what happens next can make them feel considered, whether you plan to relocate or move out. Sharing these details can also be an opportunity to collaborate with them, such as scheduling visits and furnishing your new home.
Other strategies can also be effective, depending on the child’s response and the circumstances.
Getting help when needed
Still, professional help from therapists or specialists could be necessary if the child exhibits issues that warrant medical intervention. There is no one-size-fits-all approach when dealing with children during and after the divorce, so don’t hesitate to ask for help for your and your family’s well-being.