Divorce is difficult for any family member, but here at Seabrook Law Offices, we will continue to press upon both parents the need to be most concerned about how your divorce will affect your children. Wherever possible, both spouses should collaborate to lessen the impact of the divorce on their children.
As a parent, you want to make things as simple as possible. Especially during this traumatic time, both parents need to reassure their children of how much they love them. However, even in the best-case scenario, your children may struggle to adjust. What is appropriate for one child may not be appropriate for another. Assure any child struggling to adjust to the news of divorce that there is nothing wrong with them or their emotions and that everyone interprets events differently.
Getting outside help, such as from a therapist from Trust Mental Health located in San Jose, is advised in almost every situation. Seeking the counsel of an experienced family and divorce attorney from Seabrook Law Offices can also help guide you through this tumultuous time.
How Can My Divorce Affect My Child?
Though divorce is a difficult and emotional time for both adults and children, it can be especially traumatic for your child. Your divorce has the potential to negatively impact your child’s emotional, mental, physical, and even financial well-being. Children might also display a wide range of emotions, such as anger, sadness, guilt, or worry during this time.
Children frequently worry about being responsible for their parents’ reconciliation or whether they will have to relocate when the divorce becomes finalized. They may also feel guilty if they are happy with the divorce, believing that one parent will be pleased as a result.
Children growing up in single-parent households are more likely to develop behavioral problems, academic difficulties, school failure, and emotional difficulties. Additionally, they are more likely to face poverty, abuse, and mental health issues as adults.
What Are the Early Warning Signs I Need to Look Out For?
Here are some early warning signs to look out for that may indicate that your divorce is adversely impacting your child so you can take steps to intervene.
- Physical Health. Children who have experienced parental divorce or separation are more likely to experience health issues, such as increased injury rates, a higher risk of asthma, and an increased risk of asthma-related emergencies. In children, stress can manifest itself as stomach aches, headaches, bedwetting, or more frequent sickness.
- Emotions. Divorce has the most significant emotional impact on self-image and self-esteem in children. Many of these changes occur due to a shift in a child’s self-perception. A child may believe that they caused the divorce or did something wrong that caused their parents to want to be apart from them. As a result, a child may become sad, depressed, or angry.Children are also impacted in terms of emotional security during a divorce. Fears that both parents will abandon the child and concerns about what will happen to them next are common. Furthermore, the absence of one of the child’s parents can cause the child to feel incredibly lonely. A child who has been robbed of their security may lash out uncontrollably, or they may quietly withdraw and avoid all social contact. A lack of emotional security can be devastating.A child who has lost faith in both parents may feel guilty about spending time with either. A child may begin to blame themselves for any problems or fights they witness while spending time with one of their parents.
- Education. Children may become disengaged from schoolwork and struggle to focus on textbook reading or homework assignments. Parents may notice that their child is not performing as expected, or their grades have dropped suddenly. Children might also have lower educational aspirations and test scores.
How Can I Help My Child Through My Divorce?
Here are some steps that parents can take to ensure that their children feel supported as they try to adjust to their “new normal.”
- If possible, establish contact with the other parent of your child. A positive and healthy parent-child relationship can significantly benefit a child’s development. However, parents cannot always maintain a positive relationship with their child’s other parent. There are many reasons this may not be possible.
- Define the parental roles for each child. Divorce is never easy, but it is even more complicated when children are involved. The divorcing couple must agree on how to divide time with the child, what they will do when one parent travels for work, and who will make significant life decisions.
- After divorce, communicate as a team for the sake of your child. Communicating as a team after divorce is frequently challenging because it requires two people to work together, not just one. Divorce is a difficult process that affects the entire family. Following the initial devastation, it is critical to establish communication as a team to assist your child during this trying time.
- Try to establish a schedule for drop-offs and pick-ups. It is important to establish a schedule for drop-offs and pick-ups following divorce. This will facilitate the process of co-parenting. Parents should strive to be flexible with their plans and avoid allowing their emotions to affect their children.
- Assist your child in adjusting to life changes. When children undergo significant life changes, they frequently experience an upheaval in their world. They may suffer a loss of normalcy, withdraw, and develop depression. It is critical to equip your child with healthy coping mechanisms for such situations to help them navigate difficult times.
Where Do I Go for Help?
It is essential to keep in mind that the effects of divorce on children aren’t always the same. Some children may exhibit more pronounced symptoms than others. For example, one child may experience more anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem than another child.
If you wish to discuss how your child is adjusting to your divorce, it is critical to seek the assistance of an experienced therapist from Trust Mental Health. A therapist can advise you on working through your emotions and problems and best minimize the impacts of your divorce on your child. It also may be necessary to seek therapy for your child. Therapy gives children an opportunity to form a healthy and trusting relationship with another adult outside of the home. It can be a place to discuss their feelings about the divorce in a safe environment.
When it comes to divorce, at Seabrook Law Offices we put children first. Divorce can be a turbulent time for your child’s well-being and mental health. As your divorce attorney will explain, there are steps you can take to protect your children, ease their transition, and get ahead of the situation and prepare your family for divorce. We discussed five ways you can protect your children while going through a divorce in a blog article you can read here that can guide you.
Concerned About How Your Divorce Will Affect Your Child? Contact Seabrook Law Offices in San Jose
Are you ready to file for divorce and want to understand how you can best protect your child through the process? Engage the services of an experienced divorce attorney you can trust and who understands the effects of a divorce on your child. Our goal at Seabrook Law Offices is to assist parents in protecting their children during divorce. It’s a critical time for your children’s well-being and mental health, and we understand you’re in so much pain that you can’t concentrate on them. It’s time, however, to put on your grown-up pants and handle the divorce carefully. The family court system is a sewer, and you should get out as soon as possible. Attorney Paul Seabrook and his team at Seabrook Law Offices provide dependable representation focusing on assisting you and your children in moving forward with your lives and into a better future.
To schedule your consultation, call 408-560-4487 or fill out the contact us form on our website here.
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The information in this blog post (“post”) is provided for general informational purposes only and may not reflect the current law in your jurisdiction. No information in this post should be construed as legal advice from the individual author or the law firm, nor is it intended to be a substitute for legal counsel on any subject matter. No reader of this post should act or refrain from acting based on any information included in or accessible through this post without seeking the appropriate legal or other professional advice on the particular facts and circumstances at issue from a lawyer licensed in the recipient’s state, country or other appropriate licensing jurisdiction.
Seabrook Law Offices
6840 Via Del Oro, Ste. 265
San Jose CA 95119
408-560-4487
https://seabrooklawoffices.com
