What Parents Can Do To Help Their Children After Divorce

Parents in Kansas who are going through a divorce might wonder how they can make it less difficult for their children. If parents can keep children in the same school and avoid disrupting their routine as much as possible, it may help children adjust. They should try to make sure their children can keep relationships with family on both sides and avoid conflict in front of the children. Parents should also try to keep household rules and expectations consistent as they talk honestly with their children about the divorce.

Parents who get along well and who can afford it may consider a setup called “nesting” or “birdnesting.” Children in this arrangement stay in the family home, and parents alternate living there.

While this helps ensure that children do not have to deal with too much upheaval at once, experts say it should not be prolonged past a few months. It can mislead children into thinking their parents will reunite, and it can also create anxiety and uncertainty for them regarding what their lives will be like when they are going back and forth between their parents’ homes. There is also a higher likelihood of conflict between parents as the arrangement continues.

Parents might find it less stressful and expensive to negotiate an agreement for child custody and visitation instead of going to court. It may also be more difficult to create a healthy co-parenting relationship following a custody battle. Attorneys may be able to assist parents in negotiating an agreement that they can then make legally binding by submitting it to court. Parents will need to agree on whether they will share custody or if one parent will have custody and the other will have visitation rights. They should include plans for holidays and vacations. One parent might also be required to pay child support.