Divorce can be more difficult when children are involved. Not only are you supposed to deal with your marriage ending and the legal process, but also you need to ensure that your kids are doing well.
Your divorce can affect your kids, but you can support them to make the transition easier. Here are two ways you can do this.
Encourage them to talk about their feelings
As a parent, it’s natural to want your kids to be happy all the time. Thus, you may want to cheer them up during your divorce. However, doing this can put pressure on them. They may feel pressured to feel something they don’t
Their parents are going through their divorce, which is sad. Thus, it can be confusing when they don’t get the opportunity to express that sadness.
Encourage your kids to share their feelings. They should know their feelings are normal. It can be uncomfortable to hear about your kids’ pain, but doing this can help them cope better with the divorce.
Note that you don’t need to offer solutions when having this conversation with your children. Don’t try to change how they feel. Listen to their concerns and assure them things will be okay with time.
Maintain their routines
Divorce in itself is already a major change for your kids. Therefore, it can be overwhelming to go through other changes simultaneously. Hence, maintain their routines as much as possible to give them a sense of familiarity or stability, whether you and the other parent remain in the family home or one of you moves out. For example, you can maintain bedtime routines and chores.
If you are going through a divorce with kids, you need to make informed decisions to protect their interests. Having experienced legal guidance will help.