There are no ways to avoid some of the negative effects of your divorce on your children. They will be swept into the uncertainty, loss, and stress from the wave of divorce, and have no choice in the process or outcome. The more pertinent question will be “how do I protect them by minimizing the most harmful impacts?” What happens during the divorce process is crucial for helping children cope with divorce long-term. This article summarizes some of the primary ways to protect your children during the divorce process.
Shield them from your Conflicts with your Ex
The primary factor affecting children’s ability to be resilient, healthy and well-adjusted after a divorce is the amount of conflict between the parents. This has been proven with nearly 50 years of scientific research from psychologists such as Joan Kelly, Ph.D.
Parents usually believe they are benefiting their children by ending a difficult marriage. They are removing their children from the empty, disrespectful, or volatile patterns of the daily interactions with their spouse.
Yet, most parents continue these toxic ways of interacting with their ex-spouse post-divorce, with the same damaging effects on children. Additionally, children see themselves as one-half of each of their parents. Any critical or derogatory comments about your ex-spouse directly erodes your child’s self-esteem.
Thus, your first priority should be to shield the kids from conflicts with your ex, including the following tips.
- Only have heated discussions or arguments with your ex when you kids are not at home or in earshot of either parent.
- Don’t make any negative, critical, judgmental comments or complaints about your ex while talking with friends and family when your children can hear.
- Actively monitor and hide your groans, exasperated sighs, or distorted facial expressions after speaking with or texting your ex in your children’s presence.
- Commit to making parenting transitions (picking the kids up from each other’s homes) peaceful, civil and non-eventful. Read more about healthy joint custody exchange rules.
Keep Them Out of the Middle
Your children have to cope with the quickly changing family relationships, living at two homes, more complicated schedules, less family resources, etc. Yet, their primary job is to be a kid; to play, learn and socialize. Thus, your second priority to shield them from the effects of divorce should be to limit any additional stress placed upon them. Try to remove any temptation to feed their parental loyalty conflicts (with which they will already be struggling). Following are some examples.
- Don’t ask your children to pass any messages for you, or interrogate your children about the other parents’ home, words or activities.
- Do not leave any paperwork or notes about your relationship or divorce within easy reach from your children.
- Obtain emotional and other support from adult confidants and professionals. Get a counselor to express and work through grief, anger, blame, and difficult decisions. By managing your own mental health you can limit the inappropriate temptation of using your children for support.
- Ensure that conflicts with your ex does not impact your children. Don’t withhold child support or parenting time. Don’t cancel something the children were looking forward to due to a co-parent conflict.
- Actively affirm your children’s right to love, have their own relationship, and spend quality time with the other parent.
Include your Children . . . Appropriately
Divorce is a time when so much is changing that is beyond your children’s control. You can ease their anxiety by providing them with the following information and input where appropriate.
- Develop a shared, non-blaming, reassuring, age-appropriate way to tell your children about the divorce. Ideally sit down and tell the kids the same message at the same time. Keep it simple, answer any (logistical) questions they have, and be caring with their responses.
- Give your children advance notice when there are changes in schedules, where they are living or who is picking them up. Once you have a parenting schedule (even if temporary) color-code it and post it on the refrigerator.
- Occasionally ask and just listen to (avoid lecturing) your children regarding how they are doing with the divorce related life-changes. Ask if there is anything they need that would help. Provide them with professional counseling if needed.
- Unless your children are well-adjusted to the separation and older than 15, don’t give them the responsibility of choosing how much time to spend with each parent. For any of your kid’s requests that affect the other parent (including schedule or expenses), your first response should be “let me check with your other parent.” This continues to affirm the parents are the decision-makers who are working together for the children’s benefit.
Maintain Some Status Quo
Look for all the ways you can minimize the effects of divorce on children by providing normalcy in the transition. Try to maintaining the basic components of your children’s lives, as described below.
- Continue, and if possible, step up your normal competent parenting, including being emotionally available and providing healthy meals. Maintain behavioral expectations around school, chores and discipline.
- Don’t suddenly or significantly reduce or change the quality time your children spend with either of their parents. Try to keep up with any traditions each parent uniquely has with each child.
- Make extra efforts to keep the people your children care about in their lives, including friends, family (including your ex’s family), babysitters, etc. This network and community of belonging is essential for their well-being.
- Are you considering dating during divorce? Even if you are excited to introduce a new dating partner to your children, this is the opposite of what they need. Wait at least six months after the divorce is complete to asses the consistency of the new relationship before very gradually introducing them to your children.
While children can be incredibly resilient and adaptable to life changes, they will definitely experience a range of negative impacts from the divorce. Your kids might express these impacts through current or future emotional or behavioral challenges. By attending to the four categories listed in this article, you will provide a strong protection from the negative consequences of the divorce upon your children. More importantly, you will be helping your children heal from the divorce for years to come.
Read about positive and negative effects of divorce on kids and age-based difficulties.
Read some of the behaviors of kids struggling with the effects of a divorce.
Read about the best way to take care of yourself: Top 10 Divorce Tips.
Read info and resources for divorce in Oregon with child.