Growing up is a challenging time of life. Rapid physical and emotional changes occur as children face everyday pressures from school and friends. Columbus parents remember how tough being a kid can be and do everything they can to spare children unnecessary hardships.
Ohio parents in unhappy marriages have stresses of their own. A high priority is placed on children’s reactions to a pending divorce. Some couples want to divorce long before they actually do; they put off a final separation until the kids are adults.
A later-life divorce often eliminates the need to haggle over child custody and support issues. Spouses who wait to split sometimes feel adult children are mature enough or physically distant enough to handle the parents’ divorce. The children’s response still may not be what the parents anticipate.
What can parents do when a divorce is unavoidable when children are minors? Delaware County spouses can choose a non-traditional divorce. Many family law attorneys offer collaborative divorce and mediation services – fairly negotiated spousal agreements with expert guidance.
A problem-solving approach also serves as a good example for children. Kids can observe how their parents work together, despite differences, to come up with answers. The transition from a two-parent household to a new living arrangement isn’t as hard for kids when parents cooperate.
Children want to know that a divorce won’t change the way each parent feels about them. Many kids believe they’ve contributed to their parents’ breakup. Children need reassurance a divorce isn’t because of something they did or said. Children also require parents to remove doubts and fears about love. Many worry, if parents can fall out of love with one another, they also can stop loving children.
Divorce alternatives usually take less time than a traditional divorce; the cost is less, too. The atmosphere of the alternative divorce process is less stressful than any emotionally-charged court battle.
Source: huffingtonpost.com, “5 Ways to Protect Children During Divorce” Deborah Anderson Bialis, Nov. 25, 2013