Divorce is a difficult time for the whole family, and if you have children, the split can have a significant impact on them. It can be difficult to know exactly how to best proceed in your divorce so that you can provide your children with a stable and supportive environment during a very challenging time.
Despite the difficulties, you can make a difference for your children as you and your family go through the divorce process. Here are some tips that can help you assist your kids through this time, as well as how you can minimize conflict and stress in the divorce:
Give children an emotional outlet
Divorce is, by its very nature, an emotional time. The type of emotional support your child or children will need as they move through this process depends a lot on their age. You can encourage even the youngest children, however, to express their feelings by having an outlet to verbalize what they are experiencing. Keeping feelings bottled up is not healthy for anyone, including children. If your kids feel that they can safely talk to you about what they are going through, it can mitigate the negative impact of the stressful divorce situation.
Consider the benefits of mediation
Divorces that go through a long and fraught court battle are often the most stressful types of divorce for children. If you can avoid the courtroom in your divorce and try to minimize and reduce conflict as much as possible, it is sure to have a positive effect on your children. One way to avoid the courtroom and encourage collaboration and shared solutions is through divorce mediation. Mediation keeps you in control of decisions regarding your divorce and can also help you avoid the high legal costs that usually come with a contested divorce.
Mediation is also beneficial because it gives you a starting point and a platform to build upon for future civil communication between you and your ex. If you can build this foundation now, you will enhance your children’s emotional well-being as they cope with the new family reality.