Strollerderby

Lessening the Impact of Divorce on Children

Divorce is one of life's greatest stresses (second only to death of a spouse).  And for kids, the stress is amplified as one parent moves out and other routines and caregivers shift.  Many children are often left to fend for themselves emotionally during divorce, as parents become wrapped up in their own financial, emotional, and relationship issues.

Parents going through divorce are well-advised to watch for signs of stress in their kids, including failing grades, withdrawal, and fighting or tantrums.  To ameliorate kid's divorce-related stress, parents can refrain from arguing in front of the children, or saying nasty things about the other parent, keeping consistent routines, and making sure kids maintain contact with both parents.

Divorce is a horribly stressful time but it can be less so if parents remember to put kids first, which is always much easier said than done, don't you think?


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Comments

 

wburgmom said:

I totally agree, these words are all anyone really needs to know about kids and divorce.

My parents divorced when I was just a toddler and my father moved us hundreds of miles away from my mother. We rarely saw her after that time, at the most once a year. My brother and I started out as good kids but drifted toward deliquency and I almost dropped out of high school and later developed a serious problem with alcohol.

My brother has been in and out of jail most of his adult life, and although I am now a college graduate with a professional job, a great husband and a beautiful 2 year old son, I still struggle with depression and a dabilitating lack of confidence that has been the bane of my existence.

Anyway, my heart goes out to all kids going through a divorce. They are not okay, so please take good care of them!

March 20, 2007 3:36 PM
 

Karen Murphy said:

And there's no way to ensure that *both* parents keep the children first.  Much easier said than done.

March 20, 2007 3:43 PM
 

Health for a Long Happy Life » Lessening the Impact of Divorce on Children said:

March 20, 2007 6:50 PM
 

Miss said:

Going through this myself, to me its important for my son to have a good routine and to know that mommy and daddy are always there for him and that we are united in the choices we make for him. Only 4 months deep into this, so far I have seen no emotional trauma that he has displayed to me or to his teachers at school. I can only hope that our choices as his parents to seperate will in some way lead to a better stability for him. Much better than seeing us fight and be angry all the time if we stay together.

March 21, 2007 7:17 PM

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