Every year, many couples in Indiana make the difficult decision to seek a divorce. It is nearly always a challenging decision and process, and this is especially true if the family includes children.
When contemplating divorce in a relationship where children are present, it can help to focus your concerns on big-picture issues. These three factors are among the most significant to take into account.
Should you stay together for the children’s sake?
When a relationship breaks down or goes through a rough patch, there may reach a point where a couple feels they no longer wish to continue it. But worries about the impact that divorce will have on the children may make the option of staying together until the children are older seem wiser.
In general, children are often more resilient then we give them credit for. While a divorce can lead to some temporary trauma, assuming you handle the process well you should see your children grow into well-adjusted adults afterwards.
How do you tell your children?
If you’ve decided to divorce, you may be dreading the experience of telling your children that the family situation will be changing drastically. Fears of handling it incorrectly and doing damage to your children may cause you to avoid or overthink the process.
Probably the number one precept to keep in mind when informing your children of your divorce is to avoid overburdening them with details and/or expressing anger or blame. Let them know the facts, and stress to them that they’re not losing their parents.
How do you move forward post-divorce?
Your life after a divorce is inevitably going to be different, and that includes your children’s lives as well. But it’s possible to manage that post-divorce life in a way that minimizes the disruption and harm to your children.
After a divorce, your children may exhibit certain behaviors that express hurt, anger, confusion or other negative emotional states. During that time, it’s crucial that you provide your children with as much stability as possible while reassuring them that things will get better over time.
