While divorce is a stressful time for you and your kids, it’s very possible to keep the tension under control and to protect your kids from the harmful effects that result from the process.
Believe it or not, your kids could recover strongly from divorce and live fruitful life. The key is talking to your kids in a straightforward manner.
This, according to Support For Stepdads, will allow those kids to “feel, act, and grow in the same way as kids whose parents stay married”. Child acceptance after divorce is a true reality.
How do you get to this point in your relationship with your kids? Keep reading:
It’s All In What You Say. Children hear everything that goes on – more so than we may realize. Avoiding negative talk and blame is the first step towards a positive conversation here. Both spouses must come together without arguing. If this doesn’t happen, each parent must discuss the situation with the kids separately.Be careful here, though. A simple message is best – one that doesn’t include details about the situation itself nor its specifics. The reason you do this is so that children don’t blame themselves for the cause of the divorce, and so they don’t try to “fix” their parents’ situation.
Remember, too, that each person responds to news differently, and this should be no different for your kids. Pay attention to each kid’s reaction. Some may take it more positively than others. If any of your kids have followup questions, be simple (again), but be honest. Answers should be as surface and should be as least detailed as possible.
All in all, it’s important to let your kids know that the divorce situation has nothing to do with them.
If your kids need time to process the information and work this change in their life, respect this and also be as supportive as you possibly can.
Lots of factors will change for your kids, such as their living situation, if they’ll go to the same school, when they’ll visit the other parent, which parents will attend school events, etc.
Most importantly, be there for your kids. Show them the support they need.
For more advice and direction, we encourage you seeking help from an experienced family law attorney. Maybe you have questions about other issues such as spousal support, injunctions, or adoptions. Contact Lafayette Family Law Attorney Taylor Fontenot today to discuss your options.
Southern Oaks offers a variety of family law services including divorce, custody, child support, and partition of community property. We are located in Lafayette, Louisiana and serve all of Acadiana.