A child who has lived their entire life with both parents in the same home can have problems adjusting to life with divorced parents. Some children, especially those who are younger, may have problems expressing their feelings during this transition.
It’s possible that children will experience some behavioral challenges that come during or after the divorce. These can be challenging for the parents to deal with, particularly because they happen during such a turbulent time. Here are some tips that can help you manage:
Enlist help from other concerned adults
Since you can’t be around your child all the time, it might behoove you to enlist the help of other adults who have frequent contact with your children.
Think about talking to teachers, coaches, and religious leaders so they can help your children navigate through the situation and alert you to any potential issues.
Model appropriate behavior
Many children, especially those who are younger, learn what’s appropriate by watching people around them. As one of your child’s biggest role models, you can show them how to behave in these situations.
Make sure that you’re talking to them so they understand what’s going on, and include your own feelings in the talks so they know these are normal.
Children need stability so they can thrive, but this is often difficult for them to obtain when they’re going through the process of their parents’ divorce. Parents can help to provide that stability by getting the parenting plan together as soon as possible. This gives the adults and the children the information they need to set up a schedule and keep things in order for the kids.