As a parent, going through a divorce is difficult for more reasons than simply the impact it can have on you and your partner. You will likely spend time worrying about how it will affect your child, too.
It is important to understand how to guide your child through this upheaval in life and how to get through to the other side with as little trouble as possible.
Identifying stress responses
Cleveland Clinic discusses ways to help a child through a divorce. The first thing is to understand that all children will end up impacted to some degree no matter what their age is.
Even then, all children will detect the stress of the situation and respond to it in some way. This stress response can differ greatly depending on the age and personality of the child, among other factors. Confusion, anger, worry and guilt are among the most common reactions that children tend to have.
Stay involved
So what can parents do to help their kids? First, stay involved in the lives of your kids. They want both parents in their lives, usually, and want to feel loved and noticed. To that end, you should also support the time they spend with your co-parent instead of stressing them out by making them feel guilty. Limit the negative things you say about said co-parent or any new partners, too.
Work on expressing emotions
Finally, help your child express their emotions. Especially if they are younger, they may struggle with this. Do what you can to help, even if this means seeking counseling if it might be of benefit.
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