When Arizona parents decide to bring their marriage to an end, their top priority is ensuring that their shared children will handle the transitions with relative ease. In fact, concern over how children will take the news of a split keeps many couples together for long beyond the point of no return. However, with the proper level of care, parents can make divorce and child custody changes easier for their kids to accept.
To start, the importance of assuring kids that the divorce is not their fault cannot be overstated. Adults often assume that this is obvious, but children view the world in a different manner. It is a natural part of childhood to view everything as being centered on the self. This phase of human psychological development passes, but during childhood kids often assume that events in their life are the direct result of their choices and actions. Tell them that divorce is a shift in the relationship between two adults, and that the decision to divorce has nothing to do with them.
Another way to make divorce easier for children is to enlist the assistance of a trained therapist. Working with a counselor can give children a neutral outlet for their emotions, and a sounding board for concerns that they may feel uncomfortable talking to parents about. Therapy can be a benefit for adults, as well, and can help all parties move through the transition from one household into two.
Arizona parents who are concerned about how their children will handle the news of a divorce should remember that kids are indeed resilient creatures. By implementing these and other tips, it is possible to give kids the love and support needed to work through the divorce and child custody changes ahead. Above all, both parents and children should understand that this is a time of transition, and that a new normal is on the horizon for all involved.
Source: Huffington Post, 5 Ways to Protect Children During Divorce, Deborah Anderson Bialis, Nov. 25, 2013