Divorce can be very painful for everybody involved, but it tends to be the most traumatic for children. Indeed, it might be even worse if the terms of the divorce aren’t amiable or if something like domestic abuse was involved.
That’s why we’ve put together this short list of suggestions for how to deal with helping your kids out during a painful divorce or custody battle:
It’s Not Their Fault
It is so, so important to continue to reinforce this fact since children will often blame themselves. Make sure that they know that they are loved by both parents and that everyone is working to make the best out of a bad situation.
Ask Them What They Want Or Need
All too often in child custody battles, the kids get absolutely no say in what ends of happening to them. That is one reason why you should ask your kid what they would like for very specific situations. They might feel better if they felt like they had at least some control over what was happening to them. Your custody lawyers may be able to help make some of their desires comes true in court.
Communicate
If there are other big changes on the horizon, like a move or the splitting of assets, your child deserves to know. Don’t just spring it on them — make sure they are prepared for any of the biggest changes.
It also might not be a bad idea to consult your divorce attorneys on the best way to handle children who are having a hard time with divorce — especially since they will be involved in some of the more technical terms of custody and child visitation rights. They have also seen a lot more divorces than you have and might have seen a unique system that worked. Custody lawyers can also help with this process and make it less painful for everyone involved. See this link for more.