Divorce has impacts on children that can last well into adulthood, shaping their views about the world and effecting the way they form relationships as they make their way through life. But that doesn't mean that you have to sit back and watch your little one suffer through stress, anxiety, or other side effects in the aftermath of your divorce. Here are three effective options to consider implementing that should help your child accept the family changes they're going through and adjust to their new reality so they can enjoy a more balanced life overall:
Take Time or Therapy
There are a variety of therapy options available specifically or kids that can help your little one work through their feelings about your divorce and figure out how to constructively work through those feelings. Therapy is also a useful outlet that will allow your child to express feelings that they may not feel comfortable sharing with you in a safe environment. Some therapy types that are designed to meet the unique needs of children include:
It's a good idea to schedule an initial appointment with multiple types of therapists so your child can choose the option that best meets their specific comfort levels. Consider getting recommendations through an attorney from a firm like http://madisonlf.com, as they have more experience with other divorce professionals.
Spend Time Relieving Stress
Stress tends to be a side effect of divorce for people of all ages, so it's important to make sure that your child has a few outlets for stress relief. Because most kids decide what to do and how to act based on their parents' actions, it is important to make sure that you take time for stress relief yourself – consider participating in a few stress relieving activities together throughout the week. This should help keep spirits up at home and help ensure that communication between one another remains positive. There are several things you can do together to relieve stress including:
The idea is to make sure that your child is having fun in their life every day so they can take some time for themselves and to tend to their personal imagination and emotional needs.
Maintain a Cordial Parental Relationship
Another important aspect of helping your child positively adjust to life after your divorce is maintaining a cordial parental relationship with your ex-spouse. If you and your ex-partner are not able to work together and maintain a basic family structure, even after dramatic household changes have been made, your child may start to feel unimportant or unloved. If you can't get along together in person, use phone calls and letters to communicate what's going on in your child's life. Never use your child as a messenger because it can put them in the middle of disputes they likely want nothing to do with.
It's essential to ensure that you don't act jealous or upset when your child wants to spend time with their other parent, as this can make them feel guilty and that they have to make a choice between the two of you in order to make you happy. And it's never a good idea to say anything negative about your child's other parent, no matter how true you perceive them to be. Your child's relationship with each of their parents should be strong and untarnished so they can get the support, care, and love that they need for a balanced life.
These methods and techniques should give your little one some peace of mind and ensure that they have the support they need whether at home or away. You should also find that the bond you have with your child gets stronger as you navigate your way into a new way of life.
Share22 December 2015
Too many single people assume they don't need to plan their estate. My brother fell into this category, and his unexpected passing left our entire family struggling to deal with his home, belongings, and financial accounts. It took nearly three years for the courts to set up a deal because he left no paperwork detailing how he wanted his estate divided. The situation immediately convinced me to work on my own estate, even though I'm still in my early 30's and don't have children or a spouse to worry about. Since it's a little harder to pick beneficiaries and estate managers when you're single, I collected the resources I used for making my own decisions and decided to publish them here on my blog. Use these resources before talking to an estate planning attorney so you're prepared for making hard decisions.