Tips for Parenting through a Divorce

Dealing with a divorce is never easy, and it can be even tougher when you’re trying to juggle that whole process with being a parent. Obviously, there are specific challenges that come with going through a divorce when you’re a parent and these can’t be overlooked either. We’re going to discuss the tips that’ll help you parent through a divorce in the best way possible, so read on.

 

Try to Keep Things Civil

 

First of all, you should try your hardest to simply keep things civil when it comes to your divorce proceedings. There’s no sense in letting things get too messy and argumentative because that will ultimately impact your ability to work together as parents. And no matter what kind of frustrations linger, you don’t want your relationship to impact the kids negatively.

 

Don’t Use the Kids as a Pawn in the Divorce

 

It’s important not to put yourself in a position where you’re using the kids as a pawn or some sort of leverage in the divorce. That’s bad parenting and there’s no doubt about it. Make sure that no matter what else you fight over, you both come to a fair agreement with regard to your shared duties as parents. It’s the one thing that should certainly be a priority for you both.

 

Try to Talk to the Kids About What’s Happening and Reassure Them

 

Talking to your kids about the whole process and everything that’s going on is something that’s probably going to be necessary, even if you don’t want that to be the case. You should try to make it clear to them that you’re both still going to be their parents and that your feelings for them haven’t changed. That extra reassurance can really help a lot.

 

Keep the Details of the Divorce Away from the Kids

 

It’s important that all of the messy details of your divorce are kept away from the kids as much as possible. You don’t want them to be getting a glimpse of that kind of stuff; for the most part, it doesn’t concert them at all. Find a type of divorce that works for you and your specific circumstances. Maybe you’re going through a high net worth divorce and need to factor that into your approach, for example.

 

Stay Focused on Their Needs

 

Staying focused on their basic needs from day to day is obviously important. You might have a lot going on with the divorce, but you shouldn’t allow that to be used as an excuse for not taking care of your children properly and being for them when they need you. Parenting and doing your best for them can also be a good distraction for you when going through a divorce.

When you work with a family lawyer through your divorce, such as the team at Freed Marcroft,  you can also touch on the importance of reflecting on your child’s needs, both emotional and financial needs, as part of the custody and financial support discussions. A common mistake is to focus solely on child support payment and forget that your child may also need access to their other parent. This is also an important lesson for co-parenting during and after a divorce. 

Parenting while dealing with a divorce and keeping that stress and turbulence away from your child as much as possible is tricky. But you should be able to focus on your kids and the things that matter most if you follow the advice outlined above.