Hundreds, if not thousands, of people in Minnesota understand what it is like to experience changes in life that disrupt their everyday routines or cause emotional upheaval for family members. For instance, children might have a difficult time coping with relocation if a parent gets a new job and they have to go to a new school. Divorce is another issue that causes immediate and long-term changes in a family’s life; it can also cause psychological problems, especially for kids.
Children often internalize their parents’ divorce
It is not uncommon for children to blame themselves for their parents’ divorce. To help alleviate this type of psychological distress, a parent can verbally remind his or her children that they did nothing to cause the divorce. It is also helpful if both parents treat each other with respect and encourage the children to maintain active, healthy relationships with both parents.
Think of proceedings as a business meeting rather than a battle
If a pair of spouses is at each other’s throats every time they step into a courtroom, the level of psychological stress it causes can be through the roof. On the other hand, if proceedings are approached like business negotiations instead of a personal war, it is a lot less stressful on everyone involved. It is also easier to achieve a swift and fair settlement when both spouses are calm and act respectfully toward each other in court.
Co-parents must communicate and interact
Filing for divorce demonstrates that a spouse no longer wishes to be married to his or her partner; however, when children are involved, a final divorce decree does not mean co-parents will never have to speak to each other or interact again. To protect one’s psychological health, it is best to correspond in a way that is least stressful, particularly if the relationship between the two parents is unstable. For instance, if a set of parents tends to argue when they meet in person, they can agree to correspond by text message or email, instead. If a legal problem arises, a parent can turn to an experienced family law attorney for added support.
