You’re going through a divorce. Your children may be aware of what’s going to happen once the divorce process is over. You may have told them that they may be living in two homes in the future, they’ll be changing schools or they’re going to be moving.
While you’ve given your children an in-depth talk about divorce and what it means, you still need to help your children post-divorce. Here are a few things that can help you and your children along the way:
Spend quality time with your children
After divorce, you may find that you’re going to have less time on your hands than before because you need to work more to pay the bills. You may also have less time with your children because they’ll spend some of their time with the other parent. Ensure the time you do have together is well spent – remember quality is more important than quantity.
Keep up to date with how your children are feeling
Besides spending quality time with your children, you may want to consider asking them how they’re feeling. Children often have a lot of feelings about divorce that they can’t fully process. Perhaps they’re afraid that the divorce will mean their parents are no longer there for them. Or, your children could be having difficulties adapting to their environment and making friends at school.
Keep an ongoing conversation with your children’s other parent
Even after divorce, there may be legal discussions you have with your children’s other parent. If a conversation leads to changes in a parenting plan, you may need to keep your children informed. Keeping your children informed can help build trust and security for them.