By its nature, divorce is very stressful – financially and emotionally. For parents with minor children, the stress of divorce is taken to a whole other level. Not because of child custody, visitation, child support and Parenting Plans, but because parents worry about how divorce is going to affect their children.
Parents worry about their children becoming angry, sad and depressed. Parents worry that their divorce will affect their children’s grades, and that their children will lose faith in the institution of marriage; that they’ll grow up to have children of their own one day, but won’t want to marry their partners. Perhaps one of parents’ greatest fears is the divorce ruining their relationship with their kids.
Unless you have a very strong relationship with your soon-to-be ex-husband or wife, there’s a good chance that you too, have worried about these things. “Will my children hate me? Will my spouse turn them against me? Will my children want to stop seeing me?” These are all normal questions to ask and to worry about. We have good news: It is possible for your relationship with your children to remain intact and it’s not as complicated as it seems.
Preserving Your Relationship with Your Children
“How on Earth do I protect my relationship with my kids during and after the divorce?” Believe it or not, it all comes down to having a good relationship with your former spouse. You don’t have to be best friends or even like each other, but it is important to get along, even if it’s for the sake of the children. It’s that simple.
If you and your spouse can work together to have good communication and to help each other co-parent, your children will be much better off. You see, from toddlers to teenagers, children are sensitive and can tell when their parents are arguing. When divorced parents work together to build a strong co-parenting relationship, it relieves stress and anxiety in their children – everybody wins.
Want to protect your children from the ill effects of divorce? Treat your spouse with respect and be flexible. If you can get your child’s other parent to do the same, you’re both giving your children the best possible future despite the divorce.
Need a San Diego divorce attorney? Contact Claery & Hammond, LLP today.