When a marriage ends, there are inevitably feelings of anger, resentment and sadness. Making sure those feelings have as little effect on the children as possible isn’t always easy. However, there are things that Pennsylvania parents can do to help their children through the divorce.
Children like to feel safe. Knowing that they are not losing one or both parents can help maintain a sense of security for the children during the divorce process. Giving this security to the children may be more difficult for some parents than others.
A divorce won’t ever change the fact that the two parties will always be parents. This is one of the biggest reasons to strive to make sure that both parents have enough contact with the children. This may require parents to put aside their feelings for each other and focus on the needs of the children.
It may be helpful to avoid having disagreements about the divorce, the children or anything else, especially in front of the children. Making a pact to be considerate of each other’s opinions and have respectful conversations can eliminate the possibility of arguments. As challenging as it can be at times, not speaking negatively about the other parent or becoming involved in a conflict between a child and the other parent may help keep the communication between the parents civil.
As all Pennsylvania families are aware, going through a divorce does not just involve the couple, but the whole family. Discovering how to maintain some semblance of family for the children after the parents are no longer together can be arduous. However, when the dust settles and everyone is once again moving forward with their lives, the benefits of these early interactions may be felt by everyone. Those couples who find they cannot reach amicable agreements may need to litigate certain issues in a family law court.
Source: Huffington Post, Navigating Loyalty in Divorce, Dr. Peggy Kruger Tietz, Sept. 17, 2013
