It is natural for parents in Maryland to worry about how their divorce will affect their children. The great news is that 80% of children raised by divorced parents thrive and develop into responsible adults. You can do several things to help your children when getting a divorce.
Explain the divorce to your children
After you and your spouse decide to divorce, announce it to your children. Ideally, you will do this together. Be prepared to answer their questions honestly, and tell them you are still working on that if you do not have an answer.
Never fight in front of the kids
Studies show that most children are very resilient when their parents get a divorce. On the other hand, they often suffer trauma if they see their parents fighting regularly. Therefore, save any arguments for times when your children are otherwise occupied.
Allow your children to express their emotions
Most children go through a grieving process when their parents get a divorce. Like the process after someone dies, most children progress through periods of denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. Please give them the space to work through their emotions while finding ways to support them. Sometimes, taking your child to a mental health worker can be a promising idea.
Find positive things to talk about
Having positive feelings about your ex-spouse can be challenging, but your children do not need to hear you say negative things about them. Instead, find positive things to talk about, so you can redirect conversations to a different topic until you can speak about your ex-spouse nicely.
Most children of divorced parents become responsible adults, but they need time to accept that they and their ex-spouse are no longer a couple.