Tips For Divorced Parents To Help Children Adjust

Divorce can be hard on some children in Kansas, but their parents can take steps to make the adjustment easier. Parents should not make their children feel that they must choose between them. Children should be able to spend time with either parent and express love for parents and stepparents without guilt.

Parents should not put one another down in front of the child. Instead, they should be supportive of the child’s relationship with the other parent. Children may need reassurance that their parents love them and that the divorce did not happen because of them. However, it is important for parents to find a balance between honestly and setting boundaries. They should not lie to their children about the divorce, but children also do not need to hear the details about what happened in the marriage that led to the divorce. They should not be forced to act as buffers or messengers between their parents.

Children should be informed about any changes in their schedule, and they may want some say about the schedule themselves. Parents should also try to be flexible when their children want to spend time with friends since this is important for their social and emotional development.

While a healthy co-parenting relationship may be ideal, there are situations in which this may not be in the best interests of the child. A parent who is concerned that the child is unsafe with the other parent because of neglect or abuse may want to discuss the situation with an attorney. It might be necessary to produce documentation, such as police reports. In other cases, a parent might be concerned about an international abduction. There are certain provisions that can be put in place to reduce the likelihood that this will happen.